Part II: The Call of the West
by Rougeification
Summary: SYOC. 1902. The Rune Brody Gang arrives in New Hanover, now thirteen-strong. Once there, they find that it is not just time for them to survive, but to flourish. But they are not the only gang around...
1. Time to Flourish

**So, here we are again. This is an *UBER* long chapter at nearly 4k words, but… I wanted to introduce as many characters as possible, so… enjo.**

**Also, as I said before, this story does have a lot of similar beats and themes to the game, so keep an eye out.**

_27__th__ February, 1902_

_Caliban's Seat, New Hanover_

Four short years since Frederick Herridge was murdered… four years since the Rune Brody Gang had formed, and they hadn't gotten smaller in the time since.

Paloma was in charge of setting up the camp, and put Lana to work in erecting the tents. Meanwhile, Luca and Matty had decided to reward themselves for putting up the table with a couple of bottles of whiskey.

"That ain't hardly the right way to be acting!" Paloma said to them. "You'll end putting ideas in the boy's head…" Paloma looked across to the youngest man in the camp. His name was Nights Hawk – a skinny boy with the sides of his head shorn, the rest woven into a single braid falling to his shoulders. He placed the buck on the table and set to work skinning it, while Luca and Matty rolled their eyes.

"Ey, we've been part o' this gang for four years, woman," Matty protested, "it's about time others started pullin' their weight…"

"Well, at least they won't be pulling yours," chimed the French accent of Ava. She was, by far, the most beautiful person in the gang – and maybe even the most well-spoken. Unlike Luca D'Angelo, she didn't seem to have a blatant fashion that demanded attention. Ava wore a burgundy dress, cut deep towards her bust. No modesty for her; Ava was a courtesan. Or, rather, she was.

She moved her deep chocolate locks over her shoulder and rubbed a hand on Matty's red-shirted shoulder. Matty glanced up at her with his green eyes, his mouth stretching into a toothy smile. "No idea what you're talking about."

"Of course, _Chéri_."

"When Rune gets back, he's not going to be happy seeing us lounging about." Paloma scowled. She pinched Matty's ear and dragged him to his feet. "Help Father Elijah set up his tent."

"Ow, okay, okay, okay-" Matty squirmed as he was hoisted to his feet, his body crumpling as Paloma walked him away.

* * *

Walking down the Dakota River, Aiden carried a tin bucket while he walked beside Rune as they saw young Charlotte, who was now eight years old, run beside the water, calling out the names of the fish that she knew.

"Look, look, Rune," Charlotte shouted, "it's fish!"

Rune's mouth twitched into a grin. "You hear that, brother? Fish – in water," Rune gave a mock-gasp.

"Well, I'll be damned…" Aiden murmured. "Well, go on then!" Aiden handed Charlotte the tin bucket, which she grabbed with both hands, and the two men watched her make her way towards the river.

Nothing made Rune feel his years quite so much as watching Aiden. His once-clean jaw was speckled with a shadow of stubble, his shoulders were broader and he'd grown an inch or two taller. But Rune? Well, his beard was starting to grey, and casting a hand across his face, he could feel the wrinkles getting deeper.

"Y'know," Rune groaned as he began to hook crickets to his rod, "I'm starting to think I'm getting a little too old to be moving around as much as we do…"

"Oh, shut up…" Aiden rolled his eyes.

"When you're my age, you'll know what I mean. Give it, what… fourteen years or so?"

"You just like to complain."

"Oh, coming from you?" Rune chuckled as he passed Aiden his rod. "Now, remember, be patient."

"Oh, you know me, Rune, I'm _always_ patient."

"Hm, yes, just like you were back at the Flat Iron Lake…" Rune glanced over to Charlotte, who had pulled her dress up to wade into the water. "Charlotte," Rune called to her, "have I ever told you about when Aiden went fishing with Matty and me a couple of years back?"

"Oh, Jesus…" Aiden shook his head as he picked up his rod and made his way to the water.

"No," Charlotte giggled.

"You see, we'd travelled for the better part of a day and figured it was a good spot. So, we find this boat and row out to where it's deeper…"

"It was two years ago, Rune, forget about it…" Aiden protested.

"…and we're fishing for about an hour or so. I caught a couple of trout- Matty managed to wrangle this beautiful sturgeon…"

"That sturgeon would've been mine," Aiden pointed out.

"Regardless, Aiden's sat there with his rod on the water. His bucket's empty. So, then…" Rune paused to chuckle, "so then, his rod starts twitching, and he gets all excited like a… like a newborn puppy! Tail waggin' and all…"

"Christ…" Aiden muttered as he cast his line into the river.

"So, then, Matty's saying to him 'reel him in, McKneil, reel him in'," Rune said in his best impression of an Irish accent, "and I'm saying 'don't, you'll break the line', and what do you know, I'm right – the line snaps. But Uncle Aiden, here, he says 'Oh, no you don't…', takes off his guns and jumps in after the fish!"

Charlotte started giggling and Aiden shook his head at the shore. "He swam after the fish?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh, he did more than just that. He was down there for so long, I thought we'd have to put some whiskey on the line to hook him back up!"

"What happened?" Charlotte asked, looking to Aiden.

"You want to tell her?" Rune asked Aiden.

"I think you're having way too much fun…" Aiden murmured.

"Quite right you are. So, anyways, Aiden comes back up, all gasping for air, swims up to the boat and slaps this beautiful beast of a sturgeon onto the boat – at the end of his knife!" Rune slapped his knee.

"He caught it!" Charlotte said with a wide smile.

"Oh, but that ain't the best part, is it Aiden?"

"In my defence, that fool was asking for trouble…" Aiden reminded Rune.

"That's- yeah, okay, fair enough… so, this fella is in a rowboat, fishing a while away from us, when his boat ends up knocking against ours. He starts bragging about how much fish he caught, said he was some… big-shot fishermen. All the ladies loved him and so on –you remember his name, Aiden?"

"Nah, I don't think so…"

"So, anyways, he sees Aiden's bucket and starts talking about how he just ain't cut out for fishing. Which, fair enough, but then he goes on to say we've got no right to be there, and how he's the only one who should be fishing, battling Poseidon and so on…"

"Poseidon?" Charlotte's brow furrowed.

"God of the sea. Anyways, he's all boasting and the like until he claps eyes on Aiden's sturgeon. He's being all funny and surprised about Aiden getting into a knife fight with the fish when Aiden leans over and pushes the fella into the water! He leans over, grabs the bucket of fish from the other boat, takes it for himself and says to the man 'pray I don't jump in with you'!" Rune started howling with laughter while Charlotte wheezed beside him.

Aiden turned around, "At the end of the day, I had more fish than you and Matty combined!"

"You didn't catch them though." Charlotte frowned.

"Sure I did. Now Charlotte, you want to bring that bucket over closer?"

"Sure, Uncle Aiden." Charlotte walked off to grab the bucket that was by the horses and Rune made his way near Aiden, casting his line into the water.

"You seem to be quite fond of our child, Uncle Aiden." Rune raised an eyebrow as he watched the child lift up the bucket.

"She's a good kid…" Aiden nodded. "I… well, it's nice to see her smile, I guess."

"She ain't had much to smile about, it's true…" Rune nodded. "I miss this. Y'know, just us. Before all of the others – Luca, Ava, Adam, Lana and- well, even Charlotte, it was just us."

"And Matty."

"Well, sure, and Matty. And…" Rune closed his eyes as he remembered Holt. It was something that he never really… well, some wounds don't heal. He took a deep breath and began to slowly reel in his bait. "I've been thinking lately, Aiden."

"Oh, what a surprise…"

"We need to start working towards leaving."

"Leaving where?"

"Here."

"And go where?"

"I don't know… America's a big place. We're wanted in West Elizabeth, but… well, I'm sure we can find some other place to lay low. Buy some land, some cattle – maybe start another ranch."

"With what money?"

"Well, that's the plan, Aiden. We make a bit of money and head somewhere…" Rune's eyes flickered to Charlotte. "How about France?"

"I don't speak French."

Rune examined Aiden. He was smart but… he wasn't. Though he'd never say it to him, Aiden was most useful when he wasn't thinking. He was the muscle – good at cracking skulls and killing fools, but when it came to thinking? Well… he wasn't on Rune's level. "Ain't much of a shock…" Rune said.

"Shut up!"

Rune chuckled in response. "Well, how about Mexico?"

"I don't think Lana or Abuela much fancy heading back there…"

"Lana, hmm?" Rune smirked. "You two still… close?"

Aiden let out a small chuckle. "I mean… well, sure, we were sweet on one another at some point, I reckon but… I don't know, we live together, fight together… just don't seem too smart to me, y'know?"

"Sure, I understand…" Rune nodded. He cast his mind back to the time on the McKneil ranch… love wasn't dangerous, but their life was.

* * *

Night's Hawk was still unsure about these folk. He was only nineteen, and had only known them for a month or so. Since they'd found him nursing an injured leg after a run-in with a cougar…

Night's Hawk watched as the doctor, Parker, wound a piece of string around several roots and placed them in boiling water. He frowned and approached him.

"Doctor," Night's Hawk said.

"Ah, Mr…" Parker frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't quite know how to pronounce-"

"Night's Hawk."

"Yes, but in the original…"

"I don't speak my language outside of my village," Night's Hawk said bluntly.

"Right… of course…" Parker picked up a cloth from his belt and began to rub his hands dry. He wasn't quite sure what the boy wanted, but… well, Parker's father had been treated roughly back in England. Not as badly as he would've been here, but… well, anyone that isn't white seems cursed with harsh treatment. "Can I help you with something?"

"Those roots." Night's Hawk looked down into the pot.

"Valerian Root." Parker nodded.

"Valerian…" Night's Hawk narrowed his eyes at the root. There were a lot of things he was still learning the names of – he'd never utter a word of his mother tongue outside of the Wapiti land. Not even his own name.

"Sharpens the mind…" Parker explained. "I'm trying to see if I can transmit the properties to liquid and fashion a tonic." Parker glanced up to Night's Hawk. "Would you like to try some once I'm done?" Night's Hawk gave a short nod before grabbing his bow and pulling his quiver across his shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"To hunt."

"Rune and Aiden are-" Parker tried to object, but Night's Hawk had already mounted his black Nokota, Misun, and kicked his heels, cantering off towards the cliff faces that surrounded them.

* * *

Father Elijah enjoyed the sun. He opened a small book and began writing his thoughts. Four years with the Rune Brody gang – he supposed he was a missionary of some sorts. He hoped to keep them from turning into every other gang – the O'Driscolls and Van Der Lindes, the Del Lobos and Skinner Brothers – he'd heard talk of all of them. Vicious and detestable, but he wouldn't let these people turn out the same way. He had a duty to them – he could help them, therefore he had to.

"What're you writing there, priest?" Came the soft Scottish twang of Alice MacKenzie, who leant against his tent pole, chewing some tobacco as her dark eyes roved over him.

"Musings, Miss MacKenzie. Thoughts."

"Oh, well that's useful…" Alice rolled her eyes and removed her hat, sweeping her hair back before replacing it.

"Is there something you're looking for, Miss?"

"Just something to do…" Alice groaned. "Daddy ain't told you 'bout no other jobs?"

"Mr. Brody is out fishing with young Mr. McKneil."

"Oh," Alice said, a small grin carving along her lips. "Your favourite mick…"

"I detest that word."

"I don't." Alice shrugged. "That's your problem, Father."

"That I am not a bigot?"

"A what?" Alice frowned. Elijah shook his head and Alice spat out her tobacco, rounding on him. "You like keeping your hands clean and using your… fancy words. But what good are you, round here? Don't bring in no money, but you eat and laze about all day while the rest of us work."

"I'm here to guide you, Miss MacKenzie-"

"Oh, you've got the rest of them fooled, that's for sure. But not me."

Elijah glared at her and, a second later, he heard the young, excited voice of his favourite student.

"Padre!" Charlotte rushed up to him, flinging her arms around his neck and hugging him. All thoughts of annoyance and offence at Alice vanished as he chuckled, examining the blonde girl in front of him.

"Miss Charlotte?"

"We caught fish!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"You did?" Elijah looked over Charlotte's head to see Aiden following behind, fishing rods in one hand and a bucket in the other. Rune, on the other hand, walked towards his tent and began to move a crate. "How was it?"

"Just as Rune said – no lawmen out looking for us. I reckon we had some fun, don't you?" Aiden asked Charlotte.

"Padre, look what we-"

"Have you thanked Uncle Aiden and Rune for taking you?"

"Ah, don't worry about it." Aiden set down the bucket and watched as Charlotte began to rifle through the trout.

"Look!" Charlotte grunted as she tried to lift up a bass to show Father Elijah.

"Why, it's almost as big as you!" Elijah said with a mock-gasp.

"'Bout as useful too…" Alice huffed.

"Now!" Rune's voice boomed across the camp as he climbed up onto the crate to address them. "We've gone and got ourselves good and lost! There ain't going to be no-one coming after us – what with all the nonsense between the O'Driscolls and the Van Der Lindes – four years of silence, and now it is _our_ time to flourish!"

"Flourish?" Lana's brow creased.

"There's a town a little up the ways by the name of Valentine – a livestock town. Lots of cash to steal, cattle to rustle…"

"Bunch of dumb country bumpkins…" Matty grinned.

"Sounds good to me." Aiden shrugged.

"Luca, you got any ideas?"

"Well… I can swing by the post office. See if I can drum up any leads…"

"Okay, all of you, you keep watch on the camp. Aiden, Matty – you come with Signor D'Angelo and me."

"Grand!" Matty sprang into action. Aiden glanced over to Elijah and shrugged, walking towards his tent to get his coat.

"Why not me?" Alice asked from across the camp. "Why not Lana or Ava?"

"Because, Miss MacKenzie, we don't need a repeat of that business in Strawberry," Rune said sternly as Alice gave a wicked grin. "You and Miss Lana can take watch. We'll be back in time for supper." Alice rolled her eyes and hung her head.

"Damn bastard…" Alice muttered to herself.

"Alice, look at the fish!" Charlotte held up the fish to try and show the red-haired gunwoman.

"All I do is sit 'round here minding children…"

"Alice, you're not looking!"

"I don't care, girl," Alice groaned.

"Miss Charlotte, why don't you go and show Rune the fish you caught…" Elijah said quietly.

"That's right – go run and show daddy what you've got." Alice pushed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and watched Charlotte rush across camp.

"What's wrong with you?" Elijah hissed.

"I'm stuck here when I'm a better shot than the rest-"

"Rune told you to stay here," Elijah said. "So stay here."

Alice swept into a mocking curtsy before turning around and making her way to the case of whiskey.

Rune had pulled on his long dark coat and watched as Aiden fitted his brown hat atop his head before he looked down to see Charlotte running towards him.

"Pa," Charlotte squealed, "pa, look at the fish!" Rune froze. His eyes fixed on her as he felt something inside of him – something that broke a long time ago. It wasn't fixed now, and… he just felt guilt. He didn't make any motion towards the girl. Instead, he just stood there, watching her. "Is… did I…?"

"Give to Abuela to cook," Rune said, his voice hollow as he turned and walked away from the young girl.

Aiden glanced from Rune to Charlotte. He didn't know what had gotten into him… well, he did, but he'd never seen Rune turn away from the girl like that. He supposed that… well, things were different. There were a lot of people in the gang, things weren't simple no more. Maybe it was the stress that was getting to him.

Young Charlotte stood there, looking down at the trout as she frowned. Poor kid – probably too young to understand any of what was going on.

"Hey, Charlie," Aiden said to the girl. "Maybe next time, we'll let you fish with us. I reckon you're about ready."

Charlotte's grey eyes glinted like silver. "Really?"

"Sure! I mean… well, you can't be any worse than me." Aiden's eyes flitted over to Alice, who was swallowing copious amounts of whiskey at the table. "Keep an eye on the troublemaker for me, would you?"

"Okay!" Charlotte grinned.

"Good, now- go give Abuela her fish – I'm sure it'll make her day."

* * *

Across the vast rolling plains of the Heartlands, Near Simmons crouched by a rock, his bow in-hand as he watched the deer graze. Near was broad-shouldered and tall with not a strand of hair atop his head or jaw.

He swept a scarred hand across his dark face and let out a controlled breath as his fingers drifting along the crow-feathered fletching of his arrow. The buck's ear twitched and he froze, his deep brown eyes fixed on the deer some ten, fifteen yards away.

Finally, the buck's head lowered and Near straightened his back, straining slightly as he pulled back on the bowstring. The arrow found it's mark, and the buck hit the dirt.

Near grinned to himself and let out a small grunt as he rose to his feet, rubbing the small of his back. Well into his sixties, Near Simmons saw this as a reminder why he didn't run jobs with the younger men anymore. But hunting – now that was something Near would always do.

"Near," Night's Hawk's voice came from across the plains. Near turned to see the boy dismount his Nokota next to the silver stallion and walk across.

"Night's Hawk," Near greeted the boy, unsheathing his knife and setting to work on the carcass.

"You shoot well," Night's Hawk commented, pulling the arrow from the buck and examining the work. "For an old man."

Near let out a small chuckle as he clamped a hand around the buck's antler. "Well, you're not wrong… I'm sure there's a compliment in there somewhere…"

Night's Hawk turned the arrow over in his hands. "You make these yourself?"

"That's right," Near replied as he began to cut out an antler. "Not as good as yours, I'm sure." Near grunted as he pulled the antler from the carcass, his shoulders aching.

"Are you-"

"Just fine." Near forced a chuckle and waved a hand, handing the antler to Night's Hawk. "Don't you worry about me – I ain't dead yet…" Near wiped the sweat from his forehead and began to cut along the belly of the carcass. "What're you doing out here?"  
"I came to hunt."

"Aiden and Rune have taken Young Charlotte fishing. I'm hunting – now you? We'll have a feast…"

"I don't like others hunting for me." Night's Hawk dropped the arrow onto the floor and began to walk towards where the bevy had been moments ago.

"Yeah, well… I know how that feels…" Near grunted as he began to tug the pelt from the carcass. "You ought to let go of some of that anger, son – ain't nothing good going to come from it."

"What anger?" Night's Hawk's brow furrowed.

"Y'know, my pa – he was an angry sort. Hated white folk for what they did to us- lot like you in that regard… he talked of escape all the time – my ma got awful upset about it. But then she died 'round about… what, 50, it would've been…" Near stroked his jaw in thought. "Well, anyways, he finally escaped the mines in Van Horn. Took me with him and a couple of other fellas…"

"Does this have a point?" Night's Hawk asked pointedly.

Near only chuckled in response as he walked around the buck to continue skinning. "See, some of these white fellas start saying some words to us. Couple of… well, you can imagine what they called us… my pa got all uppity 'bout the sort of things they were saying and next thing you know, they've clapped irons on us and taken us all the way back to the mines."

"Interesting…" Night's Hawk said curtly.

"The point is, son, don't hold on to anger. It'll only kill you in the end." Near pulled the pelt off the buck and began to roll it up, walking over to the scrawny lad and taking the antlers from him. "Now, don't be back too late. Else Abuela'll be cooking all night and no-one'll be happy…"

* * *

In the depths of Cumberland Forest, Six Point Cabins was a massacre. Six corpses were strewn across the campsite, each one with an arrow protruding from their chest, neck or head.

Inside the cabin was Billy Rose, thirty-nine, white and covered in blood. He dragged his broken leg across the floor as he watched the figure move forwards.

"You goddamn bitch…" he coughed out some blood, tugging the small knife from his chest. "You don't know what we'll do to you!"

"You already did it to me," the figure said as she took a step into the evening's sunlight that sprayed through the windows. Her face was covered in blood, her dark blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. "Dmitri, Martha, Svetlana, Mikhail and Vlad." She glared at him with her pale blue eyes. "You remember them?"

"We'll take turns with you first," Billy said, swallowing his fear. "Or maybe we won't – maybe we'll share you. Even if you kill me, when you sleep, the Brotherhood will find you!" Billy reached to tear the knife from his shoulder and throw it at her, but she lurched forwards, dodging the blade as she drew a machete from a long leather sheathe.

"Sleep?" She growled. "I don't sleep no more. I don't dream. I don't rest. _Every_ thought is of you. Every… breath is for you…" Her voice quaked with rage as she moved across the cabin, the machete glinting as Billy pushed himself against the wall. "Every step I take, every arrow I have is so I will find you!" Her voice began to shake and erupt into a shout as her hand tightened around the hilt of her machete as she raised it up high. "And I will kill you all! Everyone who was there that day!"

She brought the machete down.

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. They won't all be this long, I just wanted to include all the characters. **

**I'm still accepting characters – mainly for the Davenport family, but we'll come onto that later… For now, I'll see you guys next chapter! Don't forget to review – it means a ton.**

**Oh, btw, I think submissions for characters to be _in_ the gang are now closed. Here's the final list of the 13 members (for now) of the Rune Brody Gang (1898-):**

**Leader: Rune Brody (42)**

**Advisor: Near Simmons (69)**

**Camp Mother: 'Abuela' Paloma Valez (66)**

**Huckster: Luca D'Angelo (35)**

**Senior Gun: Aiden McKneil (28)**

**Junior Gun: Matty Donnelly (35)**

**Junior Gun: Alanza Huerte (25)**

**Junior Gun: Alice MacKenzie (31)**

**Junior Gun: Night's Hawk (19)**

**'Lady' of the Camp: Aveline Delacroix (31)**

**Healer: 'Doc' Parker Lee-Fremont (23)**

**Priest: Father Elijah King (44)**

**Camp Kid: Charlotte (8)**

**(I consider Matty a Junior Gun because he doesn't really have a say in _what_ they do… he just goes along with it.)**


	2. Two Birds, One Stone

**So, here you guys go! Another chapter – not as long as the last one, but I wanted to get back to the OG's…**

**Next chapter should be up in a couple of days (hopefully). Oh, and I changed the story name from 'Call of Gunsmoke' to 'The Call of the West mainly because it's sorta like a 'Part 2' of Phase 1 and... stuff. Anyhoo, hope you guys like this chapter!**

_27__th__ February, 1902_

_Valentine, New Hanover_

Valentine was, in a word, sticky. A livestock town on the fringe of the Heartlands, just north of Caliban's Seat. The air was moist from rain in the morning, and the mud was constantly wet sludge. Bleating sheep were held at the corral, pigs were kept behind the doctor's and wagons creaked as they rolled down the middle of the street.

Elvira was barely into her third decade, and had spent the past three of her years had been spent in Valentine. She rose from her bed, sweeping the brown ends of her hair over her shoulder as she examined the rising sun. She never felt truly awake at this time, but she had to get ready.

Still in the bed, asleep was Gabriella, a pretty girl around seventeen, with chocolate ringlets and wide blue eyes – one of the saloon's best earners. Elvira didn't know her well, but she seemed nice – nice enough to not make fun of Elvira for... well, for saying there were some things she wouldn't do for money.

"Ellie, close the drapes," Gabriella groaned as she covered her face.

Elvira rolled her eyes and turned back to look out over the honest, hard-working men that set about for work. Only, she knew what they were working for – there were hardly any women in Valentine…

As Elvira left the room, she glanced over the railing to see Smithfield's saloon was finally opening for folk.

* * *

Matty dismounted Belle and glanced around the town – just as he'd thought; country bumpkins. They hitched their horses to the post outside the saloon, full of cowboys and brawlers by the sounds of it. What a place…

"Seems I was right, Luca," Matty sniggered to the man beside him, "a bunch o' cowboys with shite for brains…"

"If I remember, Matty, y'all were cowboys once as well."

"Ah, I was _the_ cowboy, Luca. Did more for the ranch than anyone of these fellas could…"

Luca rolled his eyes and slapped Matty on the arm. "Get me a whiskey, I'll see y'all presently…" Luca glanced between them all and began to make his way away from the saloon, towards the post office they had passed on their way into town.

"That man needs a new coat…" Rune murmured.

"How you reckon?" Matty frowned.

"What, all them robberies with a fella in a purple? How many other folk you see dressed like that?" Matty nodded and walked beside Rune and Aiden into the saloon. Rune slipped his arms around their necks and smiled. "Oh, I've missed this…" Rune muttered, "us three. Before the others, it was just us. Before Abuela, even." Rune chuckled. "What's say we ingratiate ourselves with the local villainy?"

"Ingrati-what?" Matty's face crumpled.

"It means charm," Aiden explained as they made their way to the crowded bar. Aiden waved a hand to call over the bartender and looked over to see Matty's mouth agape.

"How the hell did _you_ know that?" Matty laughed and slapped Aiden on the shoulder. "Maybe you ain't half the dolt you seem to be, McKneil."

"Oh, I can assure you I am…" Aiden murmured as the bartender came over. They ordered their whiskey and beers, knocking them back and looking around at the patrons. Matty's eyes fixed on a young beauty – chocolate ringlets and large blue eyes.

"Well, gents, I've got to 'ingrate' myself with the local ladies…" Matty grinned as he walked across the saloon.

"Ingrate…" Aiden shook his head with a smile.

"It's fine – you and I still have business at the bar!" Rune laughed, hitting Aiden's chest and calling for some more whiskey. They managed to wrangle a bottle and made their way to a small table next to some poker players. "To your health, brother," Rune said as he poured a glass for Aiden.

"And yours." Aiden raised the glass and knocked it back, savouring it – how long had it been since he'd had a proper drink? He examined Rune's face – he seemed so care-free and happy now – nothing like he had been at camp. "So," Aiden said slowly.

"So?"

"How you acted with Charlotte back there…"

Rune's jaw clenched. "What?"

"Well, what's going on with you?"

"How'd you mean?"

"The girl can't remember her momma or pa no more-"

"_Any_more."

"-She sees us as family now. So, way I see it, you've got to step up and take that responsibility whether you like it or not."

"And what do you know about it, Aiden?" Rune asked fondly as he poured another drink, cocking his head to the side.

Aiden sat up in his chair and leant forwards. "I know what it's like to grow up without a momma or pa, in case you've forgotten. Only I was lucky enough to have you there-"

"Wasn't too long ago you wanted to leave the girl behind, now you're tying yourself in knots over whether I act like her pa?"

Aiden rolled his eyes and leant back in his chair. "I'm just sayin', either act like her pa or stop… telling her stories and taking her fishing with us – don't confuse the poor kid. It's bad enough she's caught up in all this…"

"She's got a better chance than either of us," Rune explained as he poured Aiden another drink. "Look, I grew up giving my years to Uncle Sam. Then you grew up trying to live by your own rules, only to have that bastard magnate, Herridge, torment us. But her? We can give her a life where she ain't under someone else's boot!"

Aiden rolled his eyes. "Trust you to make robbing and killing into something to do with politics…"

About ten minutes had passed when Luca returned to Smithfield's Saloon. He removed his hat and set it down on the table where Aiden and Rune sat, helping himself to a glass of whiskey.

"So," Rune leant forwards, "hear anything?"

"Just a lil' wagon that comes through Cumberland Forest carrying some guns."

"What sort of guns?" Aiden asked.

"Ain't too sure but…" Luca glanced over his shoulder. "Problem is that wagons pass through there every couple of months from Lemoyne up to some fort."

"Robbing Uncle Sam…" Rune stroked his beard. "Now there's a thought."

"I don't think we should be picking a fight with the army, Rune," Luca explained. "I mean… how many of us can handle a gun?"

"Us three, plus Matty is four…"

"Lana and MacKenzie is six." Luca nodded.

"Night's Hawk and Near too." Aiden scratched his ear. "Reckon that's about all of us that can fight."

"You're right…" Rune nodded. "But we're also lacking for guns. We've got, what, a couple of rifles between us?"

"Right. But…" Luca leaned forwards in his chair. "Here's the thing: there's a gang round these parts. Heard of them back in Scarlett Meadows- Lemoyne, sort of area, y'know? They're called the Brotherhood of Southern Crusaders."

"What a mouthful…" Aiden murmured. Rune flashed him a grin before turning his eyes back to Luca.

"They've gotten pretty big – taken a shine to army armaments from what this fella, Alden, was telling me. Driving them wagons every month like clockwork."

"So?" Aiden frowned.

"So, my knuckle-headed comrade, if we rob this wagon, they ain't going to assume it's a new gang, rather it's the Brotherhood so…"

"Two birds, one stone." Rune nodded. "We get our guns, get rid of our competition…" Rune nodded. "Sounds good. But we need to do this right then; a couple guns, no witnesses…"

"No witnesses?" Luca frowned.

"I don't much know what the Brotherhood of Southern Crusaders looks like, but I doubt they resemble us much…"

"Rune's right." Aiden nodded. "Can't take no chances…"

"Oh, so you don't give a damn 'bout killing folk now?"

"'Now'? When have I ever?"

"Both of you," Rune said quietly, "both of you are right, but… look, I swear to you both that I have never and _will_ never shoot folk that don't need shooting, okay? But right now… it's necessary."

"I don't know…" Luca groaned.

"Trust him, Luca," Aiden said as he poured another drink. "Ain't like we've got much choice…"

Luca sighed and eventually nodded. "So, who're we taking?"

"Well, we can't leave camp unprotected. 'Specially if this Brotherhood is running around…" Rune stroked his chin and glanced to Aiden, "you'll look after camp?"

"Sure."

"Then Luca, you stay 'round these parts. That purple of yours a bit conspicuous…"

"Jealous," Luca sniffed.

"So see if you can make some money 'round here. Take Ava to help with you. Matty can accompany me up to the forest- when's it coming through?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Alright, we'll head out tonight…"

* * *

Elvira poured drinks and avoided the table where Grizzled Jon sat – a foul-mouthed bitter frontiersman clad in furs and stinking of beer. She took the empty glasses and wiped a cloth across the pools of liquor that soaked into the wood as she heard the trio of men beside her talk.

"…Not Alice?" The eldest of them said, a man in his forties, with a barely greying dark beard.

"Just 'cos you're killing them, doesn't mean you need to make a mess…" The youngest of them said. Elvira's eyes drifted down his chest and fell on the two revolvers that hung on his belt. On his right, a silver-patterned, black-steeled revolver with a pearl grip and some strange embossing. In his leather off-hand holster, was the opposite. A steel revolver with black engravings and a matching grip, a skull visible upon the hilt.

The man's head twitched towards her as he placed an empty bottle of beer on her tray and turned back to the conversation.

"What about Night's Hawk?" The other man suggested, his voice a soft southern twang. "Quiet, good with a bow… couldn't hurt."

"The kid's too angry for that…" The youngest shook his head.

"So are you, brother." The eldest man lay a hand on the youngest's shoulder, who shook him off as the three of them cheers their whiskeys.

"What about Lana?" The man in purple suggested.

"_What_ about her?"

"Well… she's good with a gun…"

"Well, she ain't as bad as she was…." The eldest corrected him, earning a chuckle from the youngest.

"Now, Rune, even Near's said, she's far better than any of us expected her to be."

"That's 'cos none of us were expecting anything…" The youngest replied.

"What's the s'posed to mean, McKneil?" The purple man cocked his head to the side.

"She's some rich fella's kid – 'course we weren't expecting much…" McKneil shrugged. "That's all."

"Why?" Rune grinned, folding his arms and resting his elbows on the table. "What're _you_ expecting, Luca?"

"What?" Luca's mouth was agape as he glanced between the two of them. "How'd you mean?"

"Well… you seem to bring her up an awful lot these days…"

"So?"

"So, if I didn't know any better, I'd reckon you're expecting _something_ from her…" Rune looked to McKneil, who grinned.

"Please," Luca scoffed, "I can hardly stand the spic."

"Well, young Aiden here could hardly stand Charlotte at first, but now she's calling him uncle…"

"Very true…" McKneil nodded.

Elvira wasn't quite sure what to make of this. They seemed to be talking of the same things as most folk that came into Smithfields, but… the way they talked about it – hushed voices, hunched over the table and eyes flitting between men that came too close. Cowboys didn't talk that way.

"Aiden…" Rune put a hand on Aiden's shoulder, "find some work around here. Take Alice with you as well…"

"Alice?"

"She wants to fight, so let her fight. Livestock town, there's got to be some degenerates owed money. But…" Rune raised a finger, "no killing. We ain't here to cause trouble, you hear?"

"I think you better tell her that…"

Rune's brown eyes rested on Aiden's hazel. "You're a senior gun, Aiden. She's got to listen to you, else what's the point of you being in these talks?"

Aiden clenched his jaw and gave a stiff nod. "Sure."

"So, all in favour of robbing the wagon?" Rune raised his glass. The others looked to each other and then raised theirs. The three of them clinked their glasses together and drank the whiskey. "Then, to business."

**Hope you guys enjoyed! This was just a short injection to introduce yet another character.**

**I'm still accepting characters for the Davenport family in Rhodes. So far I've only got 3 characters, so… whatever. Don't forget to review **


	3. Wayward Souls

**I realized I start every chapter off with 'guys', so I'm gonna start off with this: So gals, hope you all like this chapter.**

_28__th__ February, 1902_

_Cumberland Forest, New Hanover_

Night had fallen, and Rune and Matty were ready for a fight. Well, Rune was ready; Matty was eager. And if it was a choice between Matty getting sauced or shooting folk, Rune would pick the latter every time.

They sat on their horses, Copper and Belle, while they waited for the wagon. Matty was spinning the cylinder of his cattleman revolver along his arm before trying to twirl the revolver with a flourish.

Rune tried to ignore this, but the clicking of the cylinders played on his nerves. It reminded him of… of too many times he'd killed.

"Could you stop that?" Rune said finally.

"Stop what?"

"It's going to go off if you keep on."

"What's wrong with you, moody bones?"

Rune rolled his eyes and looked through the trees to wait for the wagon. He tried not to carry on talking because… well, what good was that? But, a moment later, he turned back to the red-haired man. "I thought you'd be acting less like a kid by now."

"What's that mean?"

"It means that, sure, for a little while, you were pulling your weight and acting like less of a fool, but now you're just the same as you were five years back."

"You're just trying to pick an argument," Matty said, casually waving a hand.

"I'm just thinking that maybe Holt wouldn't be so happy if he could see you now…"

"Holt would be happy I'm happy."

"You sure about that?"

"I think I know me own brother far better than you."

Rune clenched his jaw and looked away. Damn, some part of him… some part of Rune died with Holt. Sure, he missed Mr. Ira Kramer too, but Holt was different. Holt was… he brought out a different side of Rune. So, when Holt died, it's like that part of Rune died with him. It seemed that was the way most folk would die. Well, that or sickness. "'Course you do…"

"Aye…" Matty nodded. Gallops were heard in the distance. "Ey up, party's coming…" Matty grinned, tugging at the patchwork blue bandana and pulling it up to his face. Rune tied on his and they both waited, hands gripping their rifles. Then, a moment later, the wagon appeared. It was easy to spot because, well, frankly, the wagon was peppered with flaming arrows. The two men driving it were cussing and yelling, firing off in the distance. "Oh, wait, let me guess," Matty murmured, "that's the wagon, aye?"

"C'mon…" Rune muttered and the pair of them began to ride down the road, rifles trained on the two men. However, the wagon veered off the road and began to race through the trees, knocking from side to side and creaking its wheels.

"Rune!" Matty shouted. Rune looked up just in time to see a silhouette come closer on a black stallion. Leaning with one leg across their saddle as their back straightened up, an arrow nocked as they stared at Rune, and he stared back at them. Their pale blue eyes glistened in the firelight of their arrow as they passed by Rune, turning their gaze back to the wagon.

Rune and Matty pulled on the reins of their horses and turned about to follow.

"We shooting all of them?" Matty shouted.

"I ain't sure…" Rune called back as he cocked the lever of the repeater and tried to take aim as they flitted through the trees, unable to see the wagon lest their horses trip over stray rocks.

When they finally came out of the forest, Rune saw that the wagon was barrelling towards a large wooden fort. The shotgun driver stood up, waving his arms and shouting. Rune watched as the archer jumped off their horse, sprinting towards a large rock that stood at the start of the road. They leaped up through the air and clambered onto the rock, nocking another arrow and drawing back, their bow slowly arcing up until they let go, immediately nocking another arrow.

The firelight of the arrow made it easy to track. It gracefully soared through the night sky, falling down in the distance. The doors to the fortress parted and the wagon moved inside. Before the doors closed, however, Rune saw the arrow's fire fall from the sky and the shotgun driver fell off the side of the wagon, unmoving. The archer looked over to Rune and Matty, a hand lingering by their pearl-gripped revolver.

"Who're you?"

* * *

The next morning, Ava sat next to Charlotte, watching her small white brow furrow as she tried not to look at the book on the table. It was no great challenge – Charlotte was at an age where, very slowly, she was starting to notice the differences in people. Like, Ava's beautiful red hair or perfect face… it was also the age when she was starting what _she_ looked like.

"_En français_," Ava instructed her. Charlotte nodded.

"_Je map… m'appelle Charlotte_," Charlotte said in a slight stutter.

"_Oui, oui…_"

"_J'ai…_" Charlotte's brow tightened again.

"_Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six-_"

"_Sep- huit!_" Charlotte said suddenly. "_J'ai huit ans_!"

"_Par Dieu_," Ava said suddenly, holding her hands out to gesture at Charlotte, "_elle parle Français_!" Ava clapped her hands together in a small applause and Charlotte beamed.

"_Bonsoir_," came the Southern twang of Luca, "how's the little madam coming along?"

"Has a better accent than half of Saint Denis," Ava informed Luca as she stood up.

"_Je m'appelle Charlotte_," Charlotte recited to Luca.

"_Ah, ma parli Italiano, Signorina_?" Luca asked as he crouched down to her.

Charlotte looked to Ava for a moment, confused, then turned back to Luca. "That's not _Français_…"

"She _does_ speak French…" Luca said, eyes wide in mock wonder. Charlotte beamed. "Well, Charlotte, Ava can cut this lesson short since you're doing so well…"

"Why?" Ava closed Charlotte's workbook.

"When I was in Valentine, I spied a bank. Seems easy, but I need a look on the inside…"

"A bank?" Luca turned around to see Father Elijah standing next to Parker, frowning at them. "You'd rob all in that small town?"

"Oh, Christ…" Luca rolled his eyes. "Not _all_ of them – just the richest. Those that have enough to lose so the rest of y'all can eat…"

"Robbing is never right. Hunt and… sell the pelts!"

"If it's a choice between a week's honest work and a day's dishonest – I know which one I'm picking."

"Honest work has a reward far beyond wealth…"

"Padre, padre, padre!" Luca held his hands out. "I don't care. So, save the lecture."

"Lecture? I was put on this Earth to guide your wayward souls, Signor. It's all part of God's-"

"My people are from Sicily, Padre – we _invented_ the religion y'all preach."

"Is that so?"

"That it is. Now, Madame Moiselle." Luca removed his grey hat and dipped into a theatrical, sweeping bow. "Shall we?"

Ava rolled her eyes and then took his outstretched hand. "Father," Ava said to Elijah, "watch over Miss Charlotte, will you?"

"Of course, Madame Moiselle…" Elijah said quietly as he watched Luca and her walk towards their hoses.

* * *

In the depths of Cumberland Forest, a small campfire crackled. The archer placed her bow on the ground and pulled her bandana to her neck, revealing her round lips and striking features.

"Brotherhood of Southern Crusaders?" Rune frowned. "Heard that they were part of some gang called Lemoyne Raiders, but aside from that…"

"They're bastards." The woman's pale blue eyes were fixed on the fire. "They…" She closed her mouth and swallowed, while closing her eyes and exhaling slowly. "So far as I know, there's four of them that run it. Isiah Maxwell and his son, Jeremiah, a brute called Titus and the Dogkeeper."

"Dogkeeper?" Matty raised an eyebrow.

"That's all I've ever heard him called. They don't like people who are… who are not like them."

Rune frowned as he listened to her talk. There was something about her accent… something… familiar. "Where're your people from?" He asked. She looked up at him, ice-blue eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

"Curiosity." The woman flicked her tongue over her teeth and then clenched her jaw. "I'd say… Russia?" She swallowed. "It's okay," Rune said, running his hands over his beard. "That's okay – I ain't got no grudges. That Old World shit – ain't how we live."

"Unless you're a Scot," Matty said, turning to the woman. "I bloody hate most Scots…"

"Matty," Rune said sternly, "not the time…" Matty's head dropped and Rune turned back to the woman. "My people were Scandinavians. Hungary. Some country I never saw, so it means shit to me. All that matters is my family." Rune placed a hand on Matty's shoulder.

"If he's your son, why does he have that accent?"

"He ain't my son," Rune laughed. "Well – not by blood. See, a bunch of us… we ain't got nowhere to go," Rune explained. "Uncle Sam don't want us – half the folk we meet would want us dead because of our parents or grandparents who they never met and… well, the other half want us dead 'cos we don't play a game they made the rules of."

The woman took a breath. "So why the Brotherhood?"

"We ain't trying to pick a fight with them, but we ain't got no love for them neither," Rune assured her. "We heard about the wagon and figured we could sell it on. Use the money for our family."

She frowned. "Why do you hate the army?"

"I don't – we just need the money-"

"If you want money you rob a bank," she interrupted Rune, "you rob the Army if you have a vendetta."

Matty's eyes flickered from Rune to the woman with a slight smile. Rune folded his arms and leant back. "What's _your_ vendetta with the Brotherhood?" The woman remained silent, her mouth slightly agape as her eyes roved back towards the flames. "I'm sure, Miss, that you could do this alone but… what's the harm in having some extra guns by your side?" Rune pushed himself up onto one knee and stretched out an open hand. "Rune Brody."

She glanced down at his hand for a moment before clasping it firmly with her strong hand and giving it a shake. "Anastasia Korzhakov."

**Well, that was it. Next chapter should be up soon-ish. Don't forget to drop a review!**


	4. All Brains and No Brawn

**Guys and Gals, here's another chapter. Thanks for the massive amount of support you've all given this series and I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!**

**Just wanted to say, I've been waiting a while for people to send in the Davenports. A lot of you are still working on them, but the sooner I get them, the sooner I can start planning the minutia of this phase.**

_1st __March, 1902_

_Caliban's Seat, New Hanover_

Aiden had only began to take notice of the dreams he was having. A black bear lapping water from a river… he couldn't remember anything else from the dream – just that one image. Like a photograph or a painting.

In the shadow of the large twin rocks and trees that sat atop, the camp was settled on the wet blades of grass, cobbled together out of a handful of tents, some blankets and wagons. Aiden's tent may have looked to be one of the biggest, but he had a feeling it was just because it was one of the emptiest. Enough room for his cot and a lantern, but that was it. He didn't really see the point in having much.

Abuela was skinning rabbits and young Charlotte was helping her by tearing oregano and thyme. Aiden pushed himself out of the cot. He rubbed his eyes and coughed to clear his throat, reaching for a cigarette. Seconds later, he emerged from his faded green tent.

"Ain't usual to see you without Rune," Near said from his stool, where he cleaned out his revolver and chewed on a cigar. Aiden rubbed a thumb along the light stubble that peppered his jaw.

"My business is robbing fools – not the damn army."

"Well, whatever the reason, it's good. You spend a lot of time away from camp."

"Someone, not you," Near said as he began to slot the components of the gun back together. "Remember to enjoy yourself now and again." Aiden rolled his eyes and began to tie his red bandana around his neck when Near caught his gaze. "Take some time, son." Aiden glanced around and decided to take the old coot's advice. He pressed a cigarette between his lips and sat down next to Near. "When's the last time you cleaned your guns?"

"I don't know…"

"Well, last thing you want is a misfire."

"My guns are fine," Aiden assured him.

"I ever told you about Henri?"

"Henry?" Aiden frowned.

"No, you dolt, _Henri_. It's French – she was a…" Near gave a small smile, "well, you can guess what she was to me."

"You sly old dog…" Aiden chuckled.

"Anyway – she always told me to clean my guns and… well, same as you now, I couldn't be bothered. But when I was shooting with these… Jack Halls, they were called – anyway, what do you know, my revolver don't fire."

"McKneil!" Luca dismounted his stallion, Caesar, and marched across the camp towards Aiden and Near. He looked flushed and nervous – very unusual for Luca.

"Seems like enjoying myself'll have to wait…" Aiden murmured to Near before standing up.

"McKneil," Luca said again as he approached the table Near and Aiden sat at.

"Luca – what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, just… well, reckon I've got something for you." Luca cleared his throat, his eyes flickering to Near, who continued piecing his revolver back together.

"I'm an old man," Near said, "so if you two want to talk in private, _you_ two can walk away." Aiden grinned at Near's joke as Luca pulled him away.

"So, what sort of job you got?" Aiden asked Luca.

"Job? Well, it's…" Luca removed his hat and swept a hand through his dark hair, "See, I was playing this fella by the name of Campbell and…" Luca glanced over his shoulder and then spoke in a low, hushed voice. "Well, I'm out of pocket, McKneil."

"You lost a game of poker?" Aiden frowned. "I half-expected you to cheat-"

"I did cheat-" Luca caught his own tongue and clenched his fist. "Look, these other fellas… I reckon they were running a scam."

"You fell for a scam? _You_?"

"I played cards, drank some whiskey… maybe a bit too much- you know how it goes."

Aiden grinned, shaking his head – he'd lost a few fistfuls of dollars to Signor D'Angelo – back when he'd been foolish enough to play the man. "Sure."

"It ain't the point…" Luca said as he began to fiddle with his hat. "Look, if I go back, asking around for my money… well, they ain't never going to play me again."

"Oh, I see…" Aiden nodded. "This job's sounding like more of a favour…"

"Oh, c'mon, McKneil! I don't need the attention-

"Rune asked us both to make some money for the gang, and you want me to get you back _your_ money?"

"Hey, that ain't fair – I've been looking at the bank, so…"

"The bank?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. "The Valentine bank?"

"Oh, ain't y'all bright?" Luca rolled his eyes.

"Fine, get your money back yourself…"

"Yes," Luca groaned, "yes, the one in Valentine - with Ava."

"Who else you going to take?"

Luca shrugged, looking around. "Ain't sure yet. Depends on how we run it… I just want back _my_ share. The rest of the money Cambell's got – keep it for yourself, give it to the gang – whatever…"

Aiden scratched the back of his head and looked around the camp. "I ain't sure, Luca… I'm meant to be getting us _all_ some money, and robbing some fella in town…"

"Oh, c'mon, I'm asking y'all for help," Luca said. He clutched Aiden's shoulder. "Please, Aiden."

Aiden looked at his old friend's face and cussed under his breath. "Fine!" He said finally. "I'll get your blasted money…" Aiden pointed a finger. "But if Rune asks, I didn't give you a damn cent of it."

"Fair enough." Luca held up his hands and laughed. Aiden threw his cigarette onto the grass and ground his boot against it before walking towards the horses.

* * *

Parker felt… nervous. Sure, Rune usually went off for jobs – sometimes for days at a time, but that was when he was in a bigger group. When he had Aiden and Luca with him – he'd already quizzed the two men on why Rune didn't take them with him but… oh, he didn't know. Parker reminded himself to stay calm. Rune would be fine – he was always fine.

Parker was twenty-three years old now. He still shaved but he could still make out the smallest amount of stubble on his chin. He rubbed his forehead of sweat and looked up to see Lana grinding different herbs and roots with a pestle and mortar. Just as all of the gang had changed in the past four years, so too had she.

Lana's dark hair was longer, so she kept it in a braided bun. She had a few nicks on her hands cheeks, but she was… well, pretty, Parker supposed. But, more than that, Lana seemed more at ease with everyone now. So much so that… well, Parker thought he could tell her things he couldn't tell others.

"Can I ask you something?" Parker said finally. Lana glanced up from the herbs and gave a confused smile.

"Of course..."

"You and Alice…" Parker's eyes flickered over to her, "you're spending time with her lately."

"That doesn't sound very much like a question…"

"My question is why?"

"Jobs, Parker," Lana said as she rested the knife on the table. "It's dangerous – even more so if you're a woman."

Parker raised an eyebrow, his lips parting into a small smile. "I know how dangerous it is – I don't need reminding."

"Well, I don't mean offense, Parker, but…" Lana clutched her elbow, "there's some things you don't understand…"

Parker rubbed the back of his neck and rose to his feet as he walked over to the table, examining the herbs. "Next time Near's teaching you how to shoot, ask him how people our colour are treated."

Lana paused as she opened her mouth. Parker wasn't ever really one to talk about himself, so… well, she didn't really feel as though she could protest this. Still, she felt the words leaving her mouth. "What does your skin have to do with how men treat you?" Lana asked as she dipped her hands in the barrel of water. "I mean, none of you- our fellas here are of the best… well, good stock. But, y'know, you hear stories…"

"I do…" Parker nodded as he leant against the table, tapping his fingers against the table as he debated something in his mind…

"It's a burden a woman bears, Alice says…" Lana dried her hands. "Loving foolish men."

"Well…" Parker had made up his mind. "It's not just women who bear it." He trusted Lana – not that he was… well, he didn't know if he was ashamed. Lana narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before dropping the cloth back into the barrel.

"You…"

"Don't tell the preacher," Parker said as he stifled a cough, "I think he'd use that revolver on me…"

Lana couldn't help but smile at this. Sadly, that smile evaporated quickly as Parker coughed some more. Lana patted his back, but Parker quickly waved her away. "You should rest-"

"I'm fine," Parker assured her. "Besides, Near's leg isn't just going to magically get better…" Parker straightened up and made his way over to Near.

* * *

Night's Hawk sat at the edge of camp, binding twine around the fletching of his arrow as he observed the flock of geese flap their wings and take flight from the water. He couldn't help but smile at this – he'd always felt something for those birds, being able to fly away as soon as they wanted. He, however, felt chains around his wrists – not the type some others had, but he was a prisoner of sorts. The people he was with weren't moral, but they had a code. He trusted them enough not to slit his throat as he slept.

Night's Hawk had rolled out a wolf pelt on the cold rock of the cliff and let his legs dangle over the edge as he murmured a song he half-remembered his mother singing to him.

"Night's Hawk," came to meek voice of Charlotte. She stood a little further away from Night's Hawk, pulling at her red patchwork dress. "Aren't you scared?"

"Scared of what?" Night's Hawk frowned at her. He still wasn't sure why she was here – she wasn't a killer, she was a child.

"Of falling off."

"Hawks don't fall, they fly."

"But you don't have wings."

He forgot how simple the world was to a child. They can understand a lot but… they probably chose not to. "How do you know?" Night's Hawk placed his arrow in the quiver beside him. "You've never seen them."

Charlotte frowned as she tried to figure this out. "But…" Her brow creased together. "I don't…"

"Shouldn't you be with Paloma? Or the Priest or someone?"

"Abuela doesn't need help and Eli's sleeping…" Charlotte frowned.

"Well…" Night's Hawk turned back to his arrows, "I don't think little girls should be around arrows."

"I'm eight."

"That's little."

Charlotte looked over her shoulder and then back to Night's Hawk. "But… everyone keeps saying that I'm getting big."

Night's Hawk let out a small chuckle. "Yes, I'm sure they do." Night's Hawk flexed his shoulders and looked back to the tents. "What about Miss Aveline? She could… teach you French."

"She's powdering her nose."

"She's what?" Night's Hawk frowned. "With what?"

Charlotte looked out at the Dakota River and then back to the young man. "I don't know…" And with that, she turned and ran back across camp.

* * *

Charlotte didn't like dresses. They felt… weird – she couldn't run without tripping up and she'd _always_ end up getting her clothes dirty, and Abuela would get all annoyed with her about it. She'd ask Auntie Ava about this…

Ava was beautiful. Probably the most beautiful person in the _whole_ world! Her hair was all ginger like Uncle Matty's but Uncle Matty wasn't beautiful. He was funny though…

Ava was sat at the camp's round table, closing a tin as she examined herself in a pocket mirror. Her red dress was so beautiful – it looked better than Charlotte's but… well, Ava had some things Charlotte didn't. Two things. Her amber eyes glistened when she saw Charlotte, and Ava closed her pocket mirror.

"_Salut, ma Cherie_," Ava smiled at the young girl.

"Auntie Ava," Charlotte frowned, "why do we wear dresses?"

"Because dresses are what beautiful women wear," Ava explained.

"Oh." Charlotte began to pull at her dress as she watched the crows fly overhead. "How old are you Auntie Ava?"

"That's not a question you ask a beautiful woman…" Ava chuckled lightly, raising an eyebrow at Charlotte. "But I'm… younger than the others."

"Than Uncle Matty?"

"Yes."

"Than Abuela?"

"Yes, much younger…" Ava laughed again as she opened her pocket mirror.

"Than Uncle Aiden?"

"A little." Ava began to powder her nose once more.

"What are you putting on your nose?"

"Powder."

"What's powder?"

"It makes your skin look nice."

"Why?"

Ava shook her head. "You'll understand when you're older." She turned to face Charlotte. "I'll teach you."

"You will?"

"Of course, _ma Cherie_!" Ava clicked the pocket mirror closed and rose to her feet, picking up her hat from the table. "But now, I'm afraid me and _Zio_ Luca have to go into town."

"Can I come?" Charlotte's grey eyes lit up.

"Maybe next time, _ma Cherie_." Ava kissed Charlotte on the forehead. "Be good while I'm gone. See if…" Ava glanced around camp. "See if someone will play with you."

"Everyone's _boring_…"

"I think you mean everyone's busy."

"No I don't."

Ava chuckled. "Ask Abuela to read you a story." Ava crouched down and stroked Charlotte's chubby cheek. "We'll be back soon. And tomorrow we can play all day – I promise."

Charlotte nodded and wrapped her arms around Ava's neck. Ava never really… well, she'd never thought about being a mother before. What with how she lived – it'd never been an option, always just a risk.

* * *

Alice MacKenzie was in the middle of twirling her silver revolvers when none other than moody McKneil called over to her. A brutish, moody bastard that only cared whether Rune called him a good boy or not. He wasn't a real outlaw in her eyes - not a real shootist. He was just a dusty cowboy playing at the game.

"Alice," Aiden barked, "c'mon, we're heading into town."

"You-and-me-we?" Alice twirled one revolver back into its holster. "We got a job?"

"Not the gunsmoke type, so put them away."

"Oh, okay..." Alice chuckled as she spun her other revolver. "Daddy's gone, and you see yourself as next in line, that it, McKneil? Like a prince or some sort?"

"Put the damn gun away - no-one's impressed!"

"Or maybe..." Alice stroked her chin as her other hand twirled the revolver into her holster. "Maybe you's the rabid dog Rune's taken pity on... at least, that's how I heard it anyway…"

Aiden arrived at the shire mare that usually pulled the wagon. No other horse felt right for him after Sandy died. So, he tended to just… change horses every so often – he used whatever was available. He knew that most folk were attached to their horses – wanted the fastest and toughest ones, but Aiden felt… well, he'd been raised to know that you don't really own a horse – you just work with them.

"You don't know what you're talking about…" Aiden rolled his eyes - he wouldn't let her rile him.

"Sure I do," Alice scoffed. "Your daddy died, so Rune took you in."

"Sounds sort of like what happened to you with ol' Mama Watson." Aiden raised an eyebrow. Alice narrowed her eyes at him as she mounted her stallion, Birdie.

"You know what your problem is, McKneil?"

"I'm _sure_ you're going to tell me…"

"_You_ are all talk." Alice pointed a finger at him. "I can tell – I've met a lot of men that are all talk."

"Have you?" Aiden murmured as he pulled on the reins of the shire and set off.

"Sure have. And killed a lot more."

Aiden turned towards her. "You're telling me you've killed more men than you've met?"

Alice rolled her eyes as Aiden chuckled to himself. "Got a good wit, I'll give you that, but that's about _all_ you've got. You're all brains and no brawn-"

"You're neither."

"Oh, think you're funny do you?" Alice pulled her horse in front his, flexing her fingers by the hilt of her silver revolver on her hip. "Don't you want to dance, McKneil?"

"Watch what you say woman." Aiden leant forwards on his saddle. Alice smirked and began chuckling.

"Oh, crack a smile McKneil; I'm just having a joke…"

"Yeah, well, you ain't funny."

"Funnier than you."

"A whole lot dumber too…" Aiden murmured to himself as he kicked his heels against the mare and the two began their journey to Valentine.

**So, that's the chapter. See you all next time!**


	5. Revenge, Pure and Simple

**So, wow, this chapter is pretty goddamn long. There's a lot of different 'styles' here, which I'll describe as 'Luca', 'Aiden' and 'Anna'. **

**Now, a bit of forewarning, there is some mature language in this chapter in particular – I've wrestled with how to handle the race relations since, y'know, it's not a nice thing to write. So, I've decided that I'm just going to go with my gut – to ignore all the prejudices and act like they never existed would be wrong, right? I just want to re-iterate – the racial prejudices are pretty important to this story because I love that this gang is made up of misfits – Irishmen, Italians, Mexicans, African and Native Americans – there's a decent size of LGBT characters also… the point is that society (more so then than now) was really small-minded and kinda fascist. So, that's why there's going to be some racial slurs, homophobia and general arseholery. **

**And that's about it for updates… OH, also, instead of there being 5 phases, there will now be 6. Purely because I have way too many ideas and there's so many characters I want to depict properly. **

_1__st__ February, 1902_

_Valentine, New Hanover_

Valentine was boring. But, in the boring little towns, Ava felt like a celebrity. The most beautiful, charming and disarming woman around. Arm-in-arm with Luca, she strolled along the wooden paths, watching the muddied wheels of wagons roll through the sludge as the sun burned high in the sky. It wasn't very warm there…

"How long until we go somewhere that isn't freezing?" Ava murmured as she pulled her shawl closer around her shoulders.

"Probably when we outstay our welcome here…" Luca responded as they passed the gun store.

"So we just wait until Alice goes mad and shoots a deputy again?" Ava raised an eyebrow as she watched the dark-haired woman strut beside the rough-dressed young man.

"Or until we rob this bank…" Luca murmured under his breath as he cleared his throat and began to speak loudly, "I am telling you, dear Jessica, that our money is safer in our _own_ hands, not behind some blasted bank."

"Well, Louis," Ava said in a broad, southern accent, "that's all well and good, but this is our _child's_ future." She brought a hand over her belly. "Let's at least _discuss_ it…"

"Well, goodness, woman, I suppose there ain't no harm in _talking_…"

Ava and Luca entered the bank, looking around at the handful of muddy pig farmers and cowboys. This struck Luca as strange – what money did _those_ folk have to put in a bank? Would robbing the bank be worth it if they only made out with a couple of hundred dollars?

"Heavens…" Ava said under her breath, still in accent. It seemed she shared Luca's thoughts.

The interior of the bank was wooden – rustic. A relic of a bygone era, with teller stations and a gate to the side. It reminded Luca of the bank back in Armadillo. The air was thick with dust as overcast daylight shone through the unwashed windows. A man stood beside the metal gate, holding a double-barrelled shotgun in his hands.

"Who do I speak to about procuring some business here?" Luca asked. One of the teller windows was free, and Ava led him over to it.

"Afternoon, sir, ma'am," the man said cordially, "how can we help you today?"

"Well…" Ava took a breath and blinked, her face blank for a moment. "Ain't this just _adorable_! My husband is Mr. Louis Mason – like the Masons in Saint Denis- you've been to Saint Denis, haven't you, sir?"

"I… no, ma'am." The man smoothed back his hair.

"But you've heard of the Masons, surely?"

"No." The teller frowned. "Should I have?"

Ava opened her mouth, but wasn't entirely sure what she was going to say. Luckily, Luca slipped a hand onto the small of her back. "Let's not bore the man with pleasantries, Jessica," he said quietly. "Sir, I'd like to know what guarantees I'd be given if I chose to bank my money with you."

"Well, sir, we use vaults here, with only the manager knowing the combinations."

"He ain't a coward I hope? See…" Luca glanced over his shoulder, "I'm in the oil business. Good money, you hear?"

"Oh, yes, I've heard, Mr. Jones."

"So, if I were to bank some money with you… well, it'd be enough to build a factory 'round these parts."

"Not to worry sir," the teller assured Luca. "Sheriff Malloy is just across the street, and folk 'round here all have their own iron – any robber would be stealing _their_ money as well."

"My, my, I do feel much safer, Louis…" Ava said, resting a hand on her heaving chest.

"Forgive me sir, but… well, this all seems quite quaint to me. Now, I'm sure your vault is sturdy enough for you folk round here, but I'm from Saint Denis, you understand. We have a vault with safes in it, not some… door with a padlock."

"Oh, please sir," the teller said frantically, grabbing his keys and walking to the gate, unlocking it. "Please, see our vault yourself- Mr. Cooley," he called to the gunman, "be so kind as to let them through."

Cooley nodded and moved to the side as Luca and Ava walked forwards. 'One guard', Luca thought to himself. He made note of the two other customers in the bank – same as the other day before. That means they'd need at least two people in front to watch the customers…

"If you would be so kind, sir," the teller said as he opened the gates and escorted them through another door. They entered an office with a large vault door in front of them. Black iron with a dial on the front – no keys. "So you see, sir? Sturdy as a mountain."

"Mountains do sometimes fall…" Luca murmured to himself as he walked forwards and ran a hand across the cold iron. "And, how often is it opened?"

"Only for deposits and withdrawals," the teller said. "Unfortunately, the manager is not in – he is the only one with the combination for the vault."

"This manager, a Mr…?"

"Kane, sir."

"Mr. Kane – when would he be back?" Luca asked. The teller frowned but Luca held out a hand to explain. "Just so – if I might transfer a small sum of money here, well, I'd feel a lot more comfortable knowing it wouldn't just be sitting around."

"I understand your hesitation, sir," the teller confessed, "what with the O'Driscolls that used to plague this state…"

"Good riddance to bad trash, I'm sure you won't mind me saying."

"Of course not, sir."

Luca nodded. "Well, sir, you've convinced me. When is best to send some money?"

"Well, Mr. Kane should return after the weekend."

"Pleasure, sir," Luca said, shaking the teller's hand. "Jessica, shall we go have a drink to celebrate?"

"Oh, I'd suggest Keane's sir, just around the corner from Mr. Dalton's store. Smithfield's – just across the rode there – it gets awful rough sometimes…"

"Well, much obliged sir."

"Indeed, much obliged," Ava smiled as she strolled back towards the front doors with Luca.

* * *

Morris Peyton looked to be fairly wealthy: his black hair was neat and healthy – if a little grey, his moustache was thick, and his clothes were fine – blue with red stripes, a matching, patterned neckerchief around his neck. It reminded Aiden of Luca.

"Morris Peyton?" Aiden called as he walked towards the auction yard, where Peyton leant against the fences of the corral.

"Yeah, that's me?" He looked up at Aiden and smiled, confused. "What d'you want?

"You owe us money." Aiden came closer to the man.

"What're you talking 'bout, I ain't never seen you-" Peyton was cut off as Aiden grabbed him by the throat and pushed his neck over the gate. Aiden's hand around the fella's neck was the only thing stopping him from hitting the dirt.

"You played cards with an associate of mine. You and your friends cheated, now we want the money back."

"I ain't done nothing!"

"You cheated in cards, Peyton! Now, you going to pay me or am I going to have to hammer you like a horseshoe?"

"Get off of him-" A younger man said. He had thick black hair, wearing a bright green neckerchief. He couldn't have been any older than twenty.

"McKenzie," Aiden murmured. Alice reached a hand around the ebony grip of her right revolver and twirled it out of her holster, aiming the barrel at the boy, who gulped and took a step back.

"You cheated in cards and now it's time to pay back what you owe- all of it to the last goddamn cent!" Aiden said to the man.

"I don't have it…" Peyton began to explain.

"Well, then, seems you and I have got a problem, don't it?" Aiden threw Peyton over the gate and then hopped over it, watching the man crawl away and wipe the wet mud from his face.

"Okay, I've got a sale coming through – Wednesday. Lot of sheep I'm moving – I can pay you back then!"

"But I know you've already got the money…" Aiden kicked the man across the face, hard. "See, you played some flash fool just the other day, didn't you?"

"Yes… yes, the Italian fella!" Peyton nodded. "He's got money – tons. He owes me too, he can pay you-"

"I don't want his money…" Aiden said as he marched towards the man. "I want _your_ money…" Aiden kicked the man hard in the ribs as the young man called out again.

"I just need time…"

"McKneil!" Alice called.

Aiden groaned as he looked over his shoulder – he saw groups of people gathering around to watch what was happening. He cussed under his breath and turned back to Peyton. "I'll be back, Peyton Morris. And I want our money…" He gave the fella a final kick for good measure and began to walk back towards Alice.

"Your goddamn bludgeoner…" the young man spat at Aiden and Alice.

"Who d'you think you're talking to?" Aiden growled at him.

"I-"

"I said, who're you talking to, boy?"

"I'm getting real bored of this, McKneil…" Alice rolled her eyes and cocked back the hammer of her revolver, closing her left eye as she aimed at the kid's leg. Aiden grabbed her gun and moved it to the side.

"We're done here…" He told her.

"I reckon we're just about getting started…"

Aiden pointed a finger at her, "Don't push me, woman…"

Alice's pink lips stretched into a curiously amused smile. "I don't know… I kinda want to…" She moved closer towards Aiden's glaring face. So close that one might've thought they'd kiss, but her face stopped only minute inches from his. He just glared at her, as her dark eyes lingered on his lips. "You're far too boring…" She murmured before sauntering past Aiden, twirling her revolver and whistling a jaunty tune.

* * *

That night, rain hammered down hard onto Fort Riggs. Up on the platforms, a handful of soldiers remained – they were wary, what with them Brotherhood boys telling them about some vengeful spirit – an Indian Ghost of the Forest, some of them described her. Most likely, she was just a deranged outcast. Gone moon mad or the like.

An unnamed soldier felt uneasy. He'd only been serving in the army for some eleven months or so. His mother back in Strawberry was so glad to hear he wasn't posted too far south – his father had fought for the Yankees, and the soldier's name was a dead giveaway that he was no Rebel.

He thought he heard something – some whisper. He shook his head, trying to forget about it – he needed to keep his eyes peeled in case the crazy forest woman attacked the fort. But, as he watched the rain turn the dirt into wet sludge, he couldn't help but reminded of those fishing trips he went on with his mother. Usually, a boy's father teaches him how to fish, but his had died when he was young – never really left the war behind him… In fact, he recalled one time when his mother-

A knife pierced the soldier's throat and he dropped to the ground, gurgling. Moments later, a figure crawled along the wooden platform like a cat, walking on her palms and toes. She stopped by the boy's body. He was scared – he'd never fired his gun at a person, and he looked up at the vengeful spirit's blue eyes. She pressed her fingers to his lips and gave a firm tug of the knife.

Anna looked around the fort, her blue eyes tracking the movements of firelight and sounds. She finally saw a figure walk towards the wagon, climbing up on the wheel and reaching into one of the sacks for something. She didn't recognize him, but he wasn't in uniform – he was one of the Brotherhood.

She was about to draw her bow from her back when she saw him turn around and walk back towards a long cabin at the back of the fort. She cursed under her breath and glanced down to see her newest associates, Rune and Matty, pressed behind a series of crates, rifles at the ready. Rune pointed to the wagon and Anna glanced back up at the cabin. No… no, she didn't come here for the wagon. She moved along the platform, making her way towards the cabin.

"What the hell is she doing?" Rune hissed to himself.

"Reckon she's going hunting…" Matty murmured. "So, we getting the wagon, yeah?"

"No…" Rune sighed, "we need to open the gates, and as soon as that happens, we've only got a couple of seconds until the shooting starts."

"Wha- what about warnings?"

"They don't warn trespassers, Matty…" Rune said.

"Typical…" Matty scoffed. "So, who's getting the door?" Rune's brown eyes remained fixed on Matty, who hung his head. "Of fecking course…"

"Thank you, Matty…"

"Yeah, you're bloody welcome…" Matty gave a mock chuckle before glimpsing around the crate and moving away.

On the other side of the fortress, Anna straightened up as she pressed a hand to the door, closing her eyes. She tried to remember what Chief Rains Fall had taught her all years ago… She used her hand as an anchor. She controlled her breathing – in through her nose, out through her mouth. She was here to kill them. Whether it killed her or not – she was here to kill them.

The hunter never hesitates.

Anna nocked an arrow and pushed against the door, entering. The fella had a dirty face, missing half of his teeth. He didn't even manage to breath before Anna fired an arrow into his chest and nocked another. She fired again, driving the arrow into the man's chest. Then, she rushed forwards, wrenching one of the arrows out of the man and driving it into his neck.

He fell dead on the ground and Anna panted. She picked up her other arrow and stowed it in her quiver before rooting through the corpse's pockets. Nothing much – she found a few bills and a letter. Opening it, Anna found something – a lead. A proper lead – after four years of searching!

_Commander Armstrong,_

_ You've proven yourself a loyal friend to the Crusade, and a useful ally against the negros, the kikes and carpet-baggers. _

_ The Lemoyne Raiders are all but pushed from Scarlett Meadows. We've forged an alliance with some powerful allies, who will ensure our goal is achieved. True supporters of the Cause who have supplied us with the proper armament to retake Brother Jonathon from the bastard Uncle Sam._

_ With these guns, supply what folk you can rally to our cause and send them down to Scarlett Meadows in Lemoyne – we shall find them._

_ Stay strong, brother. Soon, this land will be cleansed. We are God's hands._

_I.M._

Anna nearly dropped the letter. It was him – it had to be. Anna folded up the letter and placed it in the back pocket of her pants before she made her way out. Unfortunately, the door opened first, and a man in a neat, blue uniform entered. He was decorated, with a blond waxed moustache.

"Well, you can tell Mr…" He looked up at Anna. "Good… God, who the hell are you, woman-" Anna didn't let him finish – she drew her machete and, in one fluid motion, sliced the man's throat open. He stumbled backwards, falling to the dirt – in front of another soldier.

* * *

Matty managed to open the gate – what other bastard could've managed that and not be caught by the army? He clearly was the man for the job – only because it probably couldn't have been done by anyone else. Oh, that's the luck of the bloody Irish, make no mistake…

Gunfire erupted from the other side of the fort, and Matty turned back to see Rune clambering onto the wagon. "Give us some fecking warning next time!" Matty shouted as he fired his rifle.

"That wasn't me!" Rune shouted back as he ducked beneath gunfire, pulling back on the reins of the horses that whinnied and reared.

"Anna!" Matty shouted. "Where're you, you damn bastard?"

Anna came into sight, sliding beneath a table and slashing at one of the tent poles, collapsing a white canvas on some soldiers behind her. She ran towards the wagon, putting one foot onto a barrel and jumping onto the bed of the wagon.

"Let's go," Anna told Rune.

"Go, go, get to fecking feck!" Matty shouted as he hung off the side, firing his revolver. Rune slapped the reins against the shires and they began to rush out of the fortress. Anna slid forwards, grabbing the sides of the wagon to stop herself falling out. More gunshots cracked and she saw horses chasing out after them.

"They're chasing us," Anna told them.

"Oh, really?" Matty shouted as he made his way to the driver's seat. "If only you had some guns, oh… wait a sec…"

"Now is hardly the time for jokes, Matt!" Rune said curtly as he glanced over his shoulder. "Anna, take one of them rifles and try to kill as many as you can."

Anna nodded and used her machete to pry open a case of bolt action rifles. She picked it up and stared at it blankly. "I'm not so good with these…" She said, flinching at more gunshots.

"Christ… Matty!" Rune swerved the wagon to the side and Matty turned around, taking the rifle from Anna. He aimed and pulled the trigger, then looked at the gun, then at Anna.

"It's empty!"

"I've not used one of them before!" She explained.

"Oh, excuses, ex-fecking-cuses…" Matty muttered as he reached into the crate and found a carton of bullets. He loaded them in and then stood up on the seat, aiming down the sights and firing at the riders.

It didn't take long until they weren't being followed anymore.

* * *

They'd parked the wagon by the road. Matty had gone to collect their horses and bring them back, so until then, it was just Rune and Anna in the woods, guarding the wagon. Anna used a small, bloodied cloth to wipe the arrowheads clean.

"You're good with a bow," Rune said. "Handle it like a Native."

Anna glanced up at him. "How would you know?"

"Experience," Rune replied. He held out a hand and she nodded, handing him her bow. It felt strange for her to be without it – like she was naked. She hated that thought. "This _is_ Native work…" Rune said as he turned it over in his hands.

"Have you seen many bows?"

"Enough for a lifetime." He handed it back to her. Rune crossed his arms as he walked towards one of the trees and leant against it, examining the girl. The way she spoke (or, rather, didn't speak), watched everything – she seemed to have lived twice the years Rune had. But she definitely did not look it – her thirties, perhaps. Her skin was worn, eyes tired, hands coarse… "How old are you?"

She looked up at him. "Why?" Rune shrugged in response. She took a breath and looked back at her bow. "Twenty-three."

Rune's eyebrows climbed up his forehead. "You look older." Anna remained fixed on cleaning her arrows. Rune took a breath and moved towards her. "You should be married, by now."

"That's not a choice anymore…" Anna said, hands tightening around her arrow.

"Why?"

"Why are you so interested?" She snapped. Rune held up his hands and moved to sit down next to her on the log.

"You don't have to tell me," he said quietly, "but I reckon you should tell _someone_."

Anna swallowed and licked her lips gently as her hands loosened on the arrow, her eyes set on the blood that soaked the cloth. Just like her dress that one night all those years ago…

"I thought that was something that you do with…" Anna took a breath. "With someone that you loved. If you wanted… children. I was wrong, wasn't I?" She looked at Rune as it began to dawn on him. "A stupid little girl… there ain't nothing that pure…"

There's family – that's what Rune thought was pure. A love so strong that you'd do anything for them. He thought about Aiden – his brother, his son, even. "Y'know… I know what it's like to hold onto the memories of folk. But you…" He tried to push the image of Charlotte out of his mind. "You ain't betraying them by finding a new family…"

"It ain't like that." Anna shook her head. "I've got a family, just cos…" Anna let out a shaking breath and a sad chuckle. "I don't expect you to understand…"

Rune nodded. "Y'know, I had a family before this one," he told her. "That love you were talking about – a pure one? I felt that for… I had someone that meant a lot to me. Someone I loved more than… more than anyone else in the entire world. I only felt it for her."

Anna nodded, watching Rune's brows falter as he let out a shallow breath. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," Anna managed to say. "About your wife."

"Ain't my wife I'm talking about…" Rune said finally, turning to look at her. "I had a daughter. Then…" He let out a sad chuckle. "Goddamn cholera…" He dragged his foot along the dirt, avoiding her eyes. "Ain't nothing more cruel than having to bury your kid… bury your wife…" He hardened his face and turned to face her. "I know your anger, Miss. But that needs a purpose- that purpose can be a family-"

"I've already got a purpose," Anna said firmly. "I'm going to kill all them bastards I can find."

"We could help you."

Anna shook her head. "I ain't an outlaw. I ain't in it for… money or what have you. I don't rob folk. This is about revenge, pure and simple."

Rune remembered the last time he went looking for revenge. He remembered Holt clutching his chest, his face pale and eyes growing still. He remembered Ira's soft hands covered in blood… "Revenge ain't never worked out for no-one."

Matty returned with the horses, giving his usual lop-sided smile. "Oh, Christ, what've I walked in on?" He groaned. Rune shook his head and rose to his feet, patting him on the shoulder. "You's are all mopey feckers, ain't ya?"

"Miss Anna is going her own way."

"Thank Christ," Matty laughed, "getting hard to keep track of all the strays we've got with us." Matty pulled at the strap of the bolt action and held it out for Anna. She frowned at the ginger man. "Well, go on…"

Rune gave Anna a nod and she took the rifle, turning it over in her hands. "You need the practice." Matty shrugged.

Anna smiled and pulled the strap over her shoulder. He was… well, he made her smile – a thing that hadn't happened for a while. She took a step forwards and pushed through the feelings of discomfort to peck a kiss on his pale cheek. She nodded to Rune before walking to her black Turkoman, Alexi. She stroked his coat and mounted him, kicking her heels and leaving with a wave of final farewell.

Matty turned to Rune with a smile. "Is there any lass who _don't_ love me?"

Rune rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's get these back to camp…"

**Well guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I like to think that I subverted a few expectations… So, next update shall be soon – I'm gonna get started on it now. It's not going to be as long as this one, though… so, drop a review – if I don't reply, dw, I'm reading each and every one of them!**

**R.**


	6. Boys Will be Boys

**Just quick update. So, yeah, as I said, there's now 6 phases, but that means this instalment will be a fair bit shorter.**

**I'd like a couple more boys in the gang tbh. I mean… fuck it, we've got, what, 11 people in the gang. We can push that up a bit… But I'm asking for men / young men in particular purely because most outlaw gangs had more men than women. I mean, this gang is fairly different because… well, we've seen that they do resemble a family more than an outlaw gang but, let's not forget, they ****_are_**** an outlaw gang. So, yeah, feel free to send some in – if you've not sent a character in, please, ****_please_****, do!**

_2__nd__ February, 1902_

_Calbinan's Seat, New Hanover_

Paloma would be sixty-four in just over four months. She could feel her hips getting stiff – she couldn't pick up Charlotte anymore. But, in spite of that, she still insisted on cooking. She'd be damned if Lana would cook a meal while she was still alive – Lana was a good help, of course, but it was Paloma's camp. Rune was the leader, their father, but she was their _Abuela_.

She sprinkled more salt out of the ceramic pot and onto the stew, turning to Lana and taking the rosemary from her when she heard Luca raise his voice.

"Ain't y'all listening to me at all?"

Lana looked across the camp, peering from around the wagon to see Luca pacing beside the table Near and Aiden sat at. Paloma let out small whistle and gently slapped Lana's arm. She turned and handed her more rosemary, still watching the conversation unfold…

"I'm old, not deaf," Near responded. "It's a bank – you said it yourself, there's the Sheriff right across from it…"

"So if we go in with guns, it ain't going to work out well," Luca groaned, pinching his nose. "We just need to distract the Sheriff, sneak in the back and crack the safe!"

"Is there a back?" Aiden asked.

"I… I mean, there has to be. There's always a back." Luca shrugged.

"Oh, well in _that_ case…" Near rolled his eyes.

"Listen, it's a foolproof plan," Luca stated. "Even MacKenzie couldn't muck this up. We do this quickly, quietly and no-one gets hurt."

"Just like Blackwater…" Aiden nodded, rubbing his jaw.

"What exactly _happened_ in Blackwater?" Near frowned, looking between them.

"Well…" Luca shrugged. "We ain't too sure."

"Way I see it," Aiden said as he leant forwards on the table, "there ain't no way they're not going to know this was us. We turn up out of nowhere, then the bank is getting robed-"

"Folk are getting roughed up." Near raised a scarred eyebrow.

"Point is that we're going to have to move. And Rune ain't back here yet."

"Well, seems you're the deciding vote then, Aiden." Luca crossed his arms. "Brains or brawn?"

Aiden rubbed the light stubble on his chin and nodded in thought. "If they know we're doing it anyway, we best be prepared. Go in with guns-"

"Oh, Chrissake, McKneil…" Luca hissed. "You're going to get us shot!"

"Let the boy say what's on his mind," Near protested.

"Well, way I see it… if we can distract the Sheriff long enough, we'll keep it quiet in the bank. We crack the safes – not dynamite. Then, we leave out the front-"

"Or the back," Luca interrupted.

"Right, or the back. Then, by the time the Sheriff comes, we'll be long gone, right?"

Near nodded. "Pursue peace but prepare for war."

"You read Sun Tzu?" Luca frowned.

"Sun who?"

"Anything I'm missing?" Aiden asked.

"You ever cracked a safe before?" Near scratched his throat. Aiden frowned.

"I mean… a couple of times…"

"Uh-huh… and what about the townsfolk? We'll be robbing them as well…"

"Well, them, see…" Aiden fell quiet, his brow furrowing. "Well, I don't know- let's just hope they don't get too curious."

"Why, you two are quite the masterminds, ain't you?" Near grinned. "While this distraction is going on and- Aiden, you see yourself as the vault man, right?"

"Sure."

"Well, then, you get a couple of fellas in the front to watch the customers. Then, you post up two more outside as lookout. Maybe one of the girls- less assuming, that way."

Luca looked to Aiden, who shrugged. "So, what distraction do you have in mind?"

Near looked across camp to where Ava sat with Charlotte, teaching her to play a harmonica… well, not so much teaching – Charlotte was still struggling with it. "Miss Ava!" Near called and waved her over. Ava crossed over, holding Charlotte's hand.

"Gentlemen?" Ava said.

"We're talking about that business with the bank in Valentine."

"Made any decisions yet? Has Luca mentioned there's probably a back way out?"

"We need a distraction," Near said. "Something to… keep the Sheriff and his deputies busy."

"Busy?" Ava raised an eyebrow, looking between the three men.

"We're open to ideas."

"How many of them are there?" Ava looked to Luca.

"Four deputies and him makes five."

"Five?" Ava let out a small breath. "I s'pose I can keep them occupied but… well, I'm hardly going to be able to ride out of town after…"

Near blinked, his face turning to stone as Luca cleared his throat. Aiden grinned and Charlotte frowned. "Why not?" Charlotte asked.

"Ava," Luca said quietly, "we're _both_ meant to be distracting them… together… like, we could stage an argument or sell tonics or some such…"

Ava made a small 'oh' and nodded. "I- that'll probably work better… well, not better, but…" she cleared her throat. "I can still… walk…"

Near and Luca both began making their way from the table and Aiden continued rolling a cigarette, seemingly unfazed. "Maybe don't say that to the Sheriff…"

* * *

Valentine air had a distinct chill to it – a bite. Luckily for Rune and Matty, it wasn't as cold as Cumberland Forest, so the two men felt comfortably warm with a cool breeze on their sweated cheeks as they rolled on by in the wagon.

"So, Hamlet's seeing the ghost of his da?" Matty asked.

"Well… you don't know," Rune explained. "There's been a lot of debate over whether Hamlet's gone mad or not."

"People don't just go mad…"

"Sons who lose their fathers do."

"Oh, aye, explains so much…" Matty rolled his eyes. "So… what about the dream one?"

"The dr- Midsummer Night's Dream?"

"Aye, that's the one."

"It's about love, Matty. And how love makes fools of us all."

Matty scoffed. "Ach, why's it called Midsummer Night then?"

"Because it happens in the middle of summer at night?"

Matty paused for a moment. "Aye, that does make sense…" He murmured. "What about the dream part?"

"Matty, maybe if you read the play, you can decide for yourself what it's about."

"Why would I do that? You love telling me – it's all you ever do. That or rob the army…"

"Keep your voice down," Rune hissed. "Now, we've got to…"

Matty suddenly pulled on the reins of the horses as the Sheriff and his deputy, Cooley, walked into the middle of the road. Sheriff Malloy had a groomed moustache with stubble starting to grow in along his jaw. His face was filled with deep scars and wrinkles, his brown eyes settling on the two men with interest. "Gentlemen," Malloy greeted them. "What you got in the back there?" Matty glanced to Rune.

"Our own private property," Rune replied.

"Looks like it's seen better days," Malloy said as he jerked his head to the wagon. Cooley leant his shotgun against his shoulder and approached the wagon.

"Ain't got no hospitality round these parts?" Rune asked.

"A fella got beaten the hell out of yesterday. Now, boys will be boys and there's little else for them to do round here but I take killings real serious."

"Thought you said he was beaten _half_ to death?" Matty cocked an eyebrow.

"He was. And now he's dead." Malloy turned to Cooley. "What're they carrying?"

"Some crates."

"Well, open them then, deputy," Malloy ordered. There was a click as Matty cocked back the hammer of his revolver, resting it on his knee. "Holster your iron, mister."

"My associate and I are employees," Rune said, his mind flitting through all the folk he knew, "of Madam Herridge."

"Herridge?" Malloy frowned. "What the hell you doing round here?"

"We don't ask questions," Rune responded. "We just protect her cargo – awful lot of folk want it, as you can see. But, we ain't about to let someone open some of these crates after we just got in a gunfight."

Malloy crossed his arms. "Then you ain't staying in my town."

"We weren't planning to. Just passing through."

Malloy frowned and narrowed his eyes before he turned to Cooley. "Mount up Cooley, and see them out of here."

"Yessir," Cooley responded, walking away to find his horse. Rune kept his eyes on Malloy. A fella beaten to death…

"Anyone been caught for it yet?"

"For what?" Malloy asked.

"This fella what died…"  
"Peyton Morris."

"What, that's who killed him?"

"No, that's the fella who what died." Malloy informed them. "His son, Jim, said he saw a couple of folk beat him over some money. Big guy beat him and a lady pulled a gun. Strangers – ain't from 'round these parts."

That certainly sounded like a two members of the family… "Money? He a rich fella?"

"Hell, no!" Malloy laughed. "Why the hell would they be 'round these parts? If he were killed for money, he probably owed it…"

Rune swallowed and, as Cooley padded up to them on his Tennessee Walker, they were escorted out of town.

**Yup, a short chapter. But I hope you liked it. I didn't see the point in dragging this chapter out, and the next one will be pretty short too… BUT there's a pretty long Aiden/Alice/Matty chapter in the works that you guys will enjoy.**

**Anyway, I'm going to write another small chapter. This is probably the most boring phase for me personally, just because I'm comparing it to the phase that comes next and… well, that's my favourite that I planned out.**

**OH, I forgot to say, **_vanillard_ **wants to do drawings of characters from the story – he's done one of Parker and, I've got to say, it looks awesome! I really do enjoy it when people care so much for their characters because, well, you get worried. **

**Another thing, some of you have picked up on **_motordog_**'s idea of giving songs to each character. So, I'll do this every now and again…**

**Anna: The Devil & His Daughter – Daniel Pemberton – this song is just so foreboding. The way it just builds and builds… It's really that rage I channel when I write Anna's scenes – Vengeful spirit of the forest or whatever it was. So, see you in two days as per usual!**


	7. Get the Damn Money

**Just another little update. Very short, but I figure you guys would enjoy a little more of the gang dynamics. Anyway, we're about halfway through this phase now. I'm just tying up some plot threads and setting up for later phases at this point.**

**Oh, and someone mentioned Aiden/Alice? I mean… I don't see it happening. Remember, Alice flirted ****_at_**** Aiden because who doesn't she flirt with?**

_2__nd__ February, 1902_

_Caliban's Seat, New Hanover_

The sun was low in the afternoon, crawling across the bruised red sky towards the horizon. Rune and Matty returned in the beaten up old wagon. Matty pulled on the reins and the wagon came to a halt as the gang began to emerge from their tents.

"That's right, lads," Matty said loudly as he climbed down from the wagon, "old Donnelly's gone out and found us some proper iron. Yous may now thank me one at a time."

Elijah was the only one who didn't move up from the log he sat on. It still filled him with unease – them robbing innocent, harmless folk. Elijah supposed that robbing the army wasn't as bad but… they were living like parasites.

Rune walked across the camp, shaking hands with Luca. "Signor D'Angelo, please distribute the rifles amongst the camp accordingly, then see if you can shift this wagon."

"Seems like we'll be lucky to get a dollar…" Luca frowned, looking it up and down.

"I'm sure if any one of us can get a good price for this, it's you."

Luca smirked and let out a chuckle. "Fair enough. Ava!" Luca looked to the redhead that led Charlotte by the hand across camp with Paloma. "We've got some business."

"We do?" Ava frowned slightly. "Abuela and me were going to take Charlotte down the river and show her how to skim rocks…"

"I don't mind coming, Luca," Lana interjected. "I'm bored of camp."

Luca thought for a moment – Lana was young, well-educated, and a pretty young thing. That could never hurt in selling the hunk of crap Rune called a wagon. He eventually nodded and made his way to the wagon to unload the rifles.

Rune placed a hand on Lana's shoulder and spoke quietly. "You know where Aiden is?" He asked. "Or Miss MacKenzie?"

"Alice is out doing… something, I guess."

"Hunting?"

"I don't know." Lana shrugged. "Aiden's over with Near."

* * *

An arrow plunged forwards, cracking the wood of the tree trunk apart and firmly rooting itself next to the several other arrows there already. Night's Hawk removed another arrow from his quiver to nock.

"You hold the arrow for too long," Near said from the stump he sat on, "let the arrow go as soon as you draw it back." Night's Hawk ignored Near's advice and drew the arrow back, aiming. "These kids, don't want to listen to nobody…" Near complained to Aiden, who wiped down the black steel cattleman revolver. "Maybe he'll listen to you?"

"I ain't telling him what to do," Aiden replied, nodding to the young man, "I've seen what he can do with that bow…"

"Scared of a kid?"

"More scared of his arrow…" Aiden took the bullets from his belt and began to load his revolver.

"Scared of his- I knew this fella, Jones, who used to run with this gang a little further South – now _he_ was the fella you'd be right to fear with a bow."

"Is he here?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Because I can't shoot a bow, and you look like you'll fall apart just holding one…"

Near gave Aiden a clout around the back of the head, earning a grin from the younger man. They turned their attention back to see Night's Hawk drawing back the bow once more. He didn't quite know why the two older man watched him – amusement? Boredom? Whatever it was, he still felt uncomfortable. Aiden was white and acted like that didn't mean anything, while Near was black and thought that made them equal.

What land had Near had taken away from him? Night's Hawk didn't know his past and he didn't care to.

"Afternoon, fellas." Rune walked towards them, both hands grasping his belt buckle as he walked towards Near and Aiden. His eyes fell on Night's Hawk, and he quickly sat down in the vacant stool next to him. "Just having a bit of target practice?"

"I already hunted-" Night's Hawk began to explain.

"Oh, I wasn't criticizing – I'm just happy to see you ain't resting on your laurels." Rune turned towards Aiden. "Some folk think they're as good as they need to be."

"Well, I'm still alive, ain't I?"

"You've got some talent with a gun, brother, that's sure enough, but you still need practice. Else you ain't going to push yourself into being better…"

Aiden rolled his eyes. "Listen to him, son," Near said, "Rune knows what he's talking about."

"Uh-huh, sure," Aiden holstered his revolver and glanced towards Rune. "How'd you get on?"

"Just fine, brother. Only I came through Valentine and heard that some fella caught a beating."

Aiden blinked, his face blank. "Okay?"

"You don't happen to know anything about that, do you?"

"Depends on the man."

"Peyton Morris."

"Oh, well, sure, I beat him."

Rune's heavy beard obscured the clenching of his jaw, but it was his brown eyes that revealed his anger. "That beating ended up killing him, brother."

Aiden shrugged. "So?"

"So…" Rune gave in to his anger. Perhaps it was remembering the family he used to have or maybe it was the fact that the boy he'd helped raise was so callous. Whatever it was, Rune grabbed Aiden's shoulder and dragged him to his feet, their faces parted by inches. "You killed a man too poor for money he didn't have," Rune snarled. "How the hell does that make us any different from Uncle Sam?"

"What're you talking about, Rune?"

"Herridge killed our cattle for money. Killing poor folk- that makes us just as bad as him." Rune looked in the younger man's hazel eyes. "Didn't you feel anything about killing that fella?"

"Of course I don't _feel _anything," Aiden replied, pushing Rune's arm off of his shoulder. "We ain't no heroes, we're a bunch of criminals-"

Rune grabbed Aiden's shoulder. Not an aggressive, angry grab, just a loose one, capturing Aiden's attention as Rune spoke, his voice quiet, yet firm. "We ain't criminals, brother. We're _outlaws_."

"The hell does that mean?" Near frowned at Rune.

"Back in Ancient Rome, brothers," Rune said as he released Aiden's shoulder, "there was a punishment for certain citizens. A… a voluntary exile, if you would. Townsfolk couldn't so much as speak to them- give them no tools for fire or water or nothing." Rune held out his arms. "Them folk that went into exile learnt how to live without begging the law for the right of fire and water. Them folk survived because they were _human_. Not because they were slaves or freedmen or man or woman, but because they had the _will_ to survive. Just like us." Rune pointed to Near. "_That_ is what it means to be an outlaw. To live on your own terms. Hunt for your own food. And not give old Uncle Sam the lion's share." Rune turned his eyes back to Aiden. "Go back into Valentine and get the money. The fool's dead, let's make sure folk know we don't play games…" Aiden nodded. "Now, please?" Rune raised his voice. As Aiden went to pass him, Rune grabbed his arm. "If you don't get us that money, I've failed raising you."

"I'll get the damn money," Aiden replied. Rune nodded and let go of his arm, letting him walk back towards the camp.

"Matty wants to go to the saloon," Rune told Aiden as he went to sit down on the log. "Near, go with them. Make sure they behave themselves…"

"Right you are, Rune." Near pushed himself off the stump.

"I don't need no wetnurse," Aiden protested.

"Apparently you do, brother. Now, get us the money, have a drink and be back by the evening. And," Rune turned back to face him, "no trouble now, you hear?"

"Me? Never."

* * *

Elvira Colt didn't know Peyton Morris very well. He was fairly arrogant, and tried to touch her at Smithfield's despite her constant reminding that she wasn't for sale. To be fair, the same could be said for most men in Valentine – for every one woman there were ten men. Though, she supposed that was the reason for Valentine being the only thriving place in New Hanover – the amount of money the cathouse made went right back into the town.

Still, Elvira knew Peyton and, by the standards of most folk, he was half-way decent. Polite and generous, even. Though it still didn't quite make up for him lifting up her skirt every which way she went.

Regardless, Elvira always liked Peyton's wife, Eliza. So, she had taken some bread, cheese and almonds from Smithfield's and walked across to the Morris residence. It was upon hearing the familiar voice that she froze, peering around the corner of an outhouse to see three men on horses riding through the mudtrack of town, soaked in the light of the sun that settled down to rest for the coming night.

"I'll catch you up," one of the men said, "got some business with the Morris widow."

"Careful you don't make the kid an orphan, McKneil," the other white man on the horse said.

"Very droll…" McKneil said as he walked towards the house.

"Want me to come with you?" Said the only black man with them – he was broad-shouldered and old, his voice grizzled and crackling.

"It's a kid, I'm sure I'll be fine," McKneil insisted.

"Ain't yous meant to be minding him, Near?" The other white man asked, his voice light like a twinkle in one's eye.

"He's a big boy," Near replied, ambling his horse forwards. "We'll save you a drink, son!" He called over to Aiden who nodded, walking towards the outhouse. Elvira pressed her back up to the outhouse, peering through the cracks to see McKneil approach the Morris house.

He was going to kill them, wasn't he? He was going to finish the job! She prayed Jim and his mother, Eliza, weren't home. Unfortunately, the door opened, and Jim climbed down the steps, his eyes locking on Aiden.

"It's you, you-" Jim said, startled and wide-eyed as he took a step towards Aiden.

"Be real careful with what words you say next, boy," Aiden said as he walked towards Jim. "Remember how your daddy died."

"You're a goddamn animal!"

"I've been called a lot worse, boy." Aiden gripped his belt buckle and stopped a few steps from Jim. "Now listen, your pa owed us money and he didn't pay. So, the debt's passed to you."

"You're a goddamn tick…" Jim replied, pointing a finger at the young man. "You're… you're a murderer! Scum- killer!"

From her hiding place, Elvira could make out McKneil's face – the same man she'd seen in the bar with two guns, planning some sort of robbery. He didn't seem angry or even fazed by the boy's shouts. He just rubbed his jaw, letting the boy shout. Finally, Jim fell silent, and McKneil raised his gaze. "I think you've mistaken me for someone who cares, boy."

"Y'know, you're going to end up making some real enemies some day, mister…" Jim scowled.

"No doubt."

"Yeah, someone's going to end up putting you in the ground!"

At this point, McKneil's face hardened. He took a step towards the younger man. "That sounds like a threat, boy." Aiden turned his ear towards him. "Say it again."

"I… I-"

"Say it again!" Aiden snapped. "'Cos if you _are_ threatening me, you best get a gun and shoot me right now."

"Perhaps I will!"

"And perhaps when the undertaker's finished with your father, I'll keep him in business." Aiden glared at the boy. "Now how's about you go inside and get me that money? Else…" Aiden dawdled around the front of the house. "I'll come inside and take it myself."

Jim took a step back, stumbling up the stairs to his home and moving inside. Elvira saw Aiden spit onto the floor and turn to look around. She pushed herself up against the outhouse – too scared to look until she heard footsteps come down the creaking steps once more.

"It's all we've got…" Jim said, holding out a small wad of dollar bills.

"This it?" Aiden asked, licking his thumb as he leafed through the dollars.

"We… we use the bank…"

Aiden finished with the bills and folded them up, placing them into his pocket. "For the record, kid, I didn't mean to kill your daddy. Fool was just unlucky."

"He was, to have met you." Jim glared at McKneil.

"Well, that we can agree on." McKneil flexed his shoulders. "You best stay out of town for a few days," Aiden told him, "just a word to the wise."

"You'd run us out of our home as well?"

Aiden chuckled and tipped his hat to the young man before turning around and walking back towards his horse, which he took by the reins and led down the mudtrack towards the stables.

**Again, a very short chapter. But still, it's more just so I can properly establish the gang and what they stand for – their 'moral code' and all. Fun fact, that little bit about Ancient Rome is something I came across in my research for my disso which, I'm happy to say, I've submitted! Yup, a 56k word novel and a 5k analysis of it… Yup guys, that's **


	8. No More Gambling

**Thanks to everyone for all the congrats on handing in my disso! **

**So guys, this update is a bit late because I've been busy moving. Word to the wise – never bring much with you, because you'll always end up leaving with more than you think.**

**Also, there's some family drama but… yeah, let's not even get into that. Anyhoo, I've got nothing to do over the next few days, so I'm going to try and finish this phase and then re-draft chapters over the next week or so.**

**So, here's the chapter.**

_2__nd__ February, 1902_

_Valentine, New Hanover_

"Here comes the mopey bastard now…"

Matty was sat inside Smithfield's saloon, watching Alice play cards in the corner with some young men when the panelled batwing doors swung open and Aiden entered. His spurs clinked across the ground as he approached the table Matty and Near sat at.

"Gentlemen," Aiden greeted them, sitting down and pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"Howdy McKneil. Yous were gone a while."

"Just checking the local horseflesh," Aiden responded. "Ain't nothing like Sandy. She was a fine horse…"

"Jaysus, you's depressing me…" Matty rolled his eyes and glanced back to Alice. She was like a stick of dynamite – ready to blow as soon as it got hot. He loved it – there were too many serious types in the gang. Even Luca had begun to get a little bit more serious lately… But Alice was just the same. Always ready for a fight.

What a woman.

"You get the money?" Near asked Aiden.

"Yeah, I got it." Aiden slapped his pocket, bulging with the bills. "Kid's got a real bad attitude…"

"Well, you did kill his daddy…" Near pointed out.

"I barely touched him."

"Still…"

"Well, it ain't like I wanted to," Aiden responded, knocking back the whiskey down his gullet and wiping the stubble around his lips. "Now, Matty, you heard about the bank?"

"What bank- that bank?"

"We're fixing to rob it," Aiden informed him. "Next couple of days. Luca and Ava are going to keep the law busy, so I'm thinking you and me do the hard work."

"We'll need a third," Matty replied, moving his glass in a circle as he glanced up across the saloon again. "Alice?"

"We ain't looking to shoot anyone!"

"Then why are yous coming along?"

"Funny," Aiden replied sarcastically, but Near let out a genuine chuckle.

"The old man thinks so." Matty frowned. "Yous still ain't sulking about Strawberry, are you?"  
"Shooting a fella for demanding she pay?" Aiden raised an eyebrow.

"When have _yous_ ever cared about killing folk?"

"We're trying to lay low," Aiden responded. "You heard what Rune said…"

"The same Rune who robbed the-" Matty let out a load groan as Near had kicked him under the table without taking a pause from drinking his whiskey. "Bastard!"

"That was different," Aiden replied. "Y'know, Rune, he was doing that for _us_."

"Why is it when it's you or Rune or Luca, it's all for _us_, but when Alice or me do something, it's because we're being fools?"

"Well, you just answered your own question." Near shrugged.

"How d'yous mean?"

"Well, they do jobs. Y'know, they plan it out so it doesn't lead back to us. MacKenzie, on the other hand…"

On cue, Alice shouted across the room, pointing at the man sitting opposite her. "You goddamn bastard!" Alice growled.

Matty grabbed his gun, but Aiden shook his head. The three men stood up and walked across the room, where the three cardplayers had stood up and were shouting at Alice.

"I ain't no cheat!" One of them snarled.

"You're a goddamn liar!" Alice smacked the man across the face, and the others began to surround her. Aiden and Matty approached, with Matty shoving one of the men away from Alice and Aiden standing on her other side.

"The hell's going on here?" Near asked as he came closer.

"Ey, Billy," one of the men called to the other, "ain't that the fella that killed Peyton?"

"Yeah, that's the bastard…" Billy responded.

"Hey, he owed us money!" Aiden pointed a finger.

"Bastard switched an ace out of his sleeve," Alice snarled. "I saw him do it!"  
"You don't know what you saw, woman!"

Aiden turned towards the man. Luca had mentioned being cheated by some fellas at cards… "You heard the lady, roll up your sleeves."

"Y'all calling me a cheat?" Billy growled, his hand lingering by the hilt of his revolver. "Is that what you're calling me, friend?"

"Ain't nobody calling you nothing," Near said, holding his hands up, "but if you got nothing to hide, why not?"

"I got nothing to prove to folk like y'all," Billy spat the words at Near, whose jaw clenched.

"Roll up your sleeves and quit acting like a ballbeg about it," Matty's hand gripped the walnut handle of his revolver.

"Or what? Y'all kill us three too?" Billy scowled. "Take your whore and your crow and get the hell out of here 'fore I call the Sheriff-"

"I ain't no whore," Alice replied. "If I was, you wouldn't be able to pay enough to make me fuck a cheat covered in pig shit-"

"Shut your goddamn mouth or I'll shut it for you!"

"Hey…" Near put a hand on one of the men's shoulders, but the man slapped the hand away.

"You don't touch me- I ain't trying to smell like _you_."

Aiden kicked a chair over. "You boys best get the hell out of here now."

"Pal, if you think-"

"We ain't your pals." Aiden took a step towards Billy. "Let's make that real goddamn clear! Now, I ain't much fond of her, but I like threats even less. I ain't never been no good at cards, but threats I handle just fine. You going to roll up that sleeve or pay the lady her money?"

Billy flicked his tongue across his lips before taking some crumpled dollar bills for him vest pocket and tossing them onto the table. "Boys," Billy said.

"Billy?" One of them asked.

"Just do it, Jessop, for Chrissake!"

Jessop cussed under his breath and threw some dollar bills on the table, as did the third man. Matty took the bills and the gang began to back out of the saloon through the batwing doors. Aiden turned around to see he walked straight into a woman. Deep-set copper eyes, curtained by loose black curls that turned brown the longer they fell. Her hour-glass figure pressed up against Aiden, her hands on his tattered white shirt as she glanced down to the ground.

"'Scuse me, ma'am," Aiden murmured as he moved around her to follow Matty, Near and Alice outside.

"This where you've been?" Near asked Alice. "While everyone else has been working, you've been getting sauced and playing cards?"

"Only rule is that we don't kill no-one," Alice retorted. "And I ain't – no more than moody McKneil over there, anyway."  
"Hey, now I didn't intend on killing him. Just one of those things."

"That ain't any better…"

"C'mon, there's another place just down the road here, Keane's…" Near began to trail off into another story about how this woman, Henri, used to outdrink him every night. Alice rolled her eyes and Matty laughed at the story, but Aiden stopped walking, patting down his vest.

"Got a spider under your shirt?" Matty asked.

"My watch…" Aiden said quietly.

"What about it?"

Then Aiden realized. He hadn't taken it out – the woman, the woman in the bar! She must've lifted it when she bumped into him. "I'll be right back," Aiden told the others and marched back into the saloon. He pushed open the saloon doors and, sure enough, the woman was standing at the bar. Her eyes widened upon seeing Aiden's face of fury, but he marched over to her, a hand clamping down on her wrist.

"I'll-" she began to threaten him.

"You stole my watch."

"That's an awful thing to accuse a lady of-"

"You ain't no lady. Now give me back my watch before I lose my temper…"

The woman held up her empty hands. "I swear, mister," her voice was mocking and calm, "I've got no use for broken watches…" She grinned as her copper eyes flickered towards the men playing poker and Aiden released the woman's wrist, walking over to them.

"Back causing trouble again, are you?" Jessop asked as he looked up from his cards. There, in the centre of the table, on a pile of chips, was the dinged silver pocket watch, all dulled and beaten.

"Don't rile me, boy," Aiden growled.

Billy grinned as he leaned back in his chair. "We paid your friend give dollars each. You reckon this watch is worth that?"

"Fifteen dollars?" Aiden snarled. "You're a goddamn thief!"

"That's a funny joke ain't it, boys?" Billy said. Aiden let out a breath between his gritted teeth and dipped a hand into his pocket, pulling out fifteen goddamn dollars… Rune had told Aiden to lie low, to not go causing trouble. It was fifteen dollars but Rune had to understand.

"How's about an extra, say, ten dollars… for her disrespect?" Jessop said with a smirk.

"_That_ was disrespect?"

"What would you call it?"

"Nowhere near how you're acting now."

"How about we double it?" Billy asked.

"How about we give the Sheriff another murder to solve?" Aiden snapped. Jessop and the third man rose their feet as Billy leaned forwards to pick up the watch, stroking his thumb over the face of it.

"This thing sure seems to mean a lot to you…" Billy murmured before slamming the watch face-down onto the table. Aiden's hands curled into balled fists as he saw Billy toss the watch back into the pile of chips. His breathing quickened, jaw clenched.

But Rune told him to not cause trouble.

"Usually," Aiden said quietly, his voice shaking, "I'd just shoot you all and take it back but… I'm going to have to ask you to return my property. _Now_."

"Or what?"

Aiden's hand rested on the pearl grip of his black revolver. Rune didn't want him killing anyone. Aiden knew it was just a watch but… well, it wasn't that to him. It was everything. But maybe it was time to let go of everything. "Good day gentlemen," Aiden told them as he began to walk back towards the batwing doors.

"Typical," Billy said loudly, "get their ape and their whore to do the fighting for them!"

Aiden's legs stopped moving as he pushed open the batwing doors. Damn what Rune said – if there was a time to fight folk, it was then. He wasn't going to listen to those backward ingrates.

"Y'know, on second thoughts…"

* * *

Matty placed the backs of his palms together and interlocked his fingers. His two middle fingers stuck out, but he couldn't wiggle them as well as Alice could.

"Natives really do this?" Matty asked.

"Sure." Alice shrugged. "Reckon you show this to Night's Hawk, and he'll think you're his chief or something."

"Ey, imagine that Near, _me_ as a chief."

"I am trying…" Near murmured as he walked over to them, smacking Matty's hands apart. "Natives don't do that."

"How would _you_ know?"

"Because, I've _run_ with Natives. I've _lived_ with Natives."

"Ey, really old man?" Matty crossed his arms. "When was that now?" Before Near could respond, a man who had played poker with Jessop and Billy tumbled through the window, hitting the wet mud on the ground outside. "Oh, yes, c'mon," Matty murmured to himself as he ran into the saloon with Alice.

Aiden was being held from behind, trying to move Billy's arm from around his neck while also trying to block Jessop's punches from the front. Matty ran forwards and tackled Jessop, landing on a table which cracked in half.

Aiden flung Billy forwards and pushed him over the bar, where the bartender began to run away. Aiden hopped over the bar to continue his fight with Billy.

Alice opened the batwing doors when, a second later, the third man tackled her from behind, grabbing a fistful of her hair and slamming her face into the floor. She headbutted him with the back of her head and turned around to mount the man, grabbing his face with one hand and punching him with the other.

"Give me the watch back," Aiden shouted as he grabbed Billy by the neck, punching him again. "Give me my watch!" Billy's hands fumbled into his pockets and produced the old, battered fob watch. Aiden closed his hand around it and punched Billy hard between the eyes. He straightened up, rubbing his knuckles and examining the watch. It still ticked (just about), but the watch face was noticeably cracked. Aiden cussed under his breath and looked up to see Matty being choked by an iron pipe.

"Get the drinks in if yous ain't going to help…" Matty croaked. Aiden hopped back over the bar and kicked Jessop's leg. Matty broke free from his grasp and then slammed Jessop's head against the pipe. They glanced over to Alice, who rolled off of the man, breathing deeply. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her shirt slightly unbuttoned, revealing the beads of sweat on her chest, reflected in the bright afternoon sun. "What a woman…"

Alice crossed her legs and flattened down her skirt as the batwing doors opened and Near leant in the doorway. "You boys done now?"

"Thanks for the help, you old bastard…" Matty offered Alice a hand, but she rose to her feet without taking it. "Yous could've helped us with that fight."

"That wasn't a _real_ fight." Near rolled his eyes. "No, see, a _real_ fight is like when I was thirty years old…"

"Oh, aye, when was that, then? 1810?"

"How old do you think I am?" Near asked before looking to Aiden. "What was that about?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, son-"

"Oh, c'mon," Matty said loudly, draping an arm around Aiden's shoulder. "McKneil loves a scrap, same as me – same as all of us. Difference is, he has to act like a sulky, tough ol' bastard instead of having a laugh like the rest of us!"

Aiden pushed Matty's arm from his shoulder. "Matty, this gang means the world to me. Ain't nothing I wouldn't do for it – including robbing, killing fools and being moody from worry so that fools like you don't have to."

"Oh, aye, you're a great man, McKneil!" Matty said as Aiden rolled his eyes. "But, remember, _yous_ started that fight, so I guess Rune'll be having a go at _yous_, ey? The prize pony finally gets the whip!"

"You boys…" Alice wiped some blood from her nose, "you boys really need to take me out with you again."

Aiden pointed a finger at her. "No more gambling."

"You ain't the boss 'round here." She glanced to Matty, her chest sticking out slightly as she turned her body to face him. "You're a man, he's barely a boy. You _really_ going to take orders from _him_?"

"Shut up!" Aiden snapped at Alice.

"I'm older than all you fools," Near said, "so my ruling is this: keep your mouths shut."

"And not tell-"

"Boys fight. It happens. And 'round these parts, it happens _a lot_." Near gently slapped Aiden's cheek. "No sense in worrying Rune, right, son?"

Aiden managed a smile. "Sure."

* * *

Rune was sat next to Father Elijah at the camp in Caliban's Seat, the two of them watching the sun journey towards the other side of the world as Rune confessed his doubts and worries.

"I am trying," Rune said quietly, "Father, I am trying _so_ hard but…" Rune glanced up to look around the camp. Night's Hawk put some chickens down on the butcher's table. Abuela and Lana began to pluck and prepare them. Parker was already at the pot, starting a fire beneath it. Ava and Charlotte made daisy chains and Luca immersed himself in a book. "Father, there's so many of us now. We need money, and I don't know where we're going to go if we've been chased out West and we're just heading…" Rune let out shallow breath. "This ain't your problem, Father…"

Father Elijah placed a hand on Rune's shoulder. "Have faith, Mr. Brody. God has a plan; he wouldn't have brought these people to you without a reason."

Rune sighed and licked his lips. All the people around him – all of _his_ people… they'd all done bad things. Why _did_ God bring them to him? "Do you think what we do makes us bad people, Father?" Rune asked. "Doing these… bad things?"

Father Elijah's eyes drifted off to the others. "I believe that… a bad person is very rare, Mr. Brody. The sad truth is that… it's usually good people who do bad things."

Rune remembered his time at Silver Bend. All the women and children and elderly that had been cut down… all in the name of America and glory. "Why is the world that way?"

"I don't know, Mr. Brody…" Elijah said quietly. "I truly do not know."

` "So… it's that simple to you, is it?" Rune removed his hat. "Good people and bad people?"

"It's…" Elijah licked his lips. "I'm not quite sure…"

"Yeah…" Rune sighed once again. "Yeah, me neither, Father."

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I just wanted a little bit of Rune and Eli at the end because there should be some insight into what Rune's dealing with. Plus, Eli is the moral centre of the gang so… fun.**

**Only 5 more chapters to go until we arrive at phase 3.**

**R.**


	9. A Withdrawal Gone Awry

**So, my new place hasn't got wi-fi like 12 more days so responses, updates – everything's going to be staggered for a bit. BUT, in the meantime, enjoy this chapter, '****_A Withdrawal Gone Awry_****'.**

_5__th__ February, 1902_

_Valentine, New Hanover_

Tuesday brought with it a usual chill – a nip in the air. It was something the people of Valentine were well-versed with. Especially at seven o'clock in the morning. It was just before people would leave their homes to visit the general store, the saloon, the stables and the auction yard. It was at this time that Elvira Colt had woken up in Gabriella's bed once again.

Elvira could scarcely remember a time where she _didn't_ have to share a bed, let alone one covered in the sticky souvenirs of Gabriella's customers. But, it was a bed with a roof. And here, she had protection. True, she was not as protected as the cats in the saloon as she was just a serving girl, but Elvira had some safety there. More than she'd have out on the streets.

Elvira had woken up early, her leg in a damp patch of the bed – the feeling alone woke her up enough and so she wrapped herself up in a thick woollen skirt, pulled the shawl over her shoulders and made her way out of Smithfield's to go down to the saloon and get the ingredients for the kitchen.

She was standing outside the general store when she saw two figures ride into town. She noticed the man – black hair slicked back, wearing fine purple clothes… at least, they looked fine from further away. As he came closer, she began to notice the fraying cuffs of the sleeves…

"Do I know you?" The man asked her as he rubbed down the dark brown neck of his Tennessee Walker.

"No, mister," Elvira said quickly. She knew the man – he'd been conversing with McKneil the week before, talking about a robbery. The man frowned at her and leant down from his horse.

"You ain't the girl who lifted the watch off my associate, are you?" Elvira gulped. She'd been lucky enough to escape the saloon floor before the brawl broke out last week, but… was this man going to shoot her? She'd heard what happened to Peyton Morris…

"No," Elvira lied. The man chuckled.

"You should've just taken the money. That watch though…" He tutted. "Not smart…"

"I was just playing."

"You were?" The man grinned. He looked around town, settling his eyes on the horses hitched outside the Sheriff's office. "How'd you like to make twenty dollars?"

* * *

Aiden and Matty walked past the gun store opposite the Sheriff's office. They lingered in the shade and cover from the morning drizzle, smoking cigarettes as they watched Luca hitch his horse outside the saloon, following a woman inside.

"So," Matty said as he passed the lit cigarette to Aiden, "I s'pose yous reckon Lana's the jammiest bit of jam around, then, ey?"

Aiden frowned as he lit his cigarette with Matty's. "Lana?"

"Well, yous two-"

"All we ever did was talk," Aiden said as he handed back the cigarette. "Well… maybe not _just_ talk but that all ended a long time ago."

"Ah, so yous _don't_ think she's-"

"I know you're waiting for me to ask."

Matty chuckled. "Well… Ava, clearly."

"I almost thought you'd say Alice."

"Ey, she's a right stick of dynamite, no mistake!"

"Huh?"  
"Ready to blow any moment!" Matty chortled. "But Ava's a looker!" Aiden grunted and smoked his cigarette as he sat down on the bench, watching Ava amble into town on her red mare. "So?"

"So…?"

"So, which one are yous after? French whore or Scots wildcat?"

Aiden hung his head. "We have to talk about this _now_?"

"Oh, lighten up McKneil!"

"You ever think that _maybe_ them girls ain't interested in you?"

There was a long pause as Matty glanced up at the rain for a moment to contemplate Aiden's question. Then, he scoffed. "Course they are! Who else would they be interested in? Yous?" Matty cackled. "That's a lark – look at yous! All… sulky and bulky! Who'd in their right mind would want yous?"

Aiden managed to grin. "Y'know, I'm inclined to agree with you."

"You's _inclined_?" Matty shook his head. Inside the saloon, screams were heard and a black-haired woman ran out towards the Sheriff's office. Matty and Aiden watched the Sheriff emerge, putting on his hat and walking towards the saloon. "Answer me question then. Which one-"

"Well, how's about you can have both?" Aiden shrugged.

"Ah, I get it – you's _threatened_. Scared to _compete_-"

"Sure, now shut up."

"You ever _been_ with a woman – a real one, I mean?"

Aiden glanced over his shoulder. "Really? Now?"

Matty giggled and shook his head. "Twenty-eight and never been with a woman…"

"Whatever you say…" Aiden rubbed his eye and watched as Luca and Ava exited the saloon with the Sheriff, Ava screaming in French and attempting to smack Luca in the face.

"Wait…" Matty frowned, looking at Aiden. "You have?"

"Tell you what, Matty…" Aiden rose to his feet, pulling at the patterned red bandana around his neck. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know _after_ we rob the bank."

* * *

Inside the Sheriff's office, Ava and Luca put on a marvellous show. There were four deputies inside – thank God Ava didn't have to resort to her best way of money-making. It wasn't that she was ashamed of it – in fact, she loved her work. She'd do it for free – damn shame and damn what others said of her. God had given men cocks and women cunts – she'd happily sample both until she was unable to do so any longer.

She wasn't lustful. She was French.

That was why she found it difficult to play the scorned lover. There had been one time when she'd found one of her gentlemen callers in bed with the scullery maid and… well, she'd heard that it was important to share hobbies. But she did her best imitation of an American woman who had caught her husband with a whore.

"Goddamn whore-mongering, no-good son of a bitch!" Ava shouted, smacking at Luca's face. Sheriff Malloy moved between the two of them, holding Ava back.

"Ma'am, ma'am _please_ calm yourself!"

"The woman's hysterical!" Luca shouted, rubbing his cheek.

"The _wife_ is scorned!" Ava hissed, trying to smack him once again. "Sheriff, can you put this ungrateful bastard in a cell?"

"No, ma'am, I'm afraid I cannot," Malloy sighed. "He ain't done nothing wrong!"

Over Malloy's shoulder, Ava could see Luca talk to the other two deputies, his eyes settled on her. Malloy turned around to face Luca. No time for hesitation.

Ava drew the revolver from Malloy's holster and thrust the butt of the handle into one of the deputy's chin before pointing the barrel into Malloy's face.

Luca disarmed one of the men and pointed his revolver at the other deputy. "Glad y'all see it that way," Luca said with a courteous smile. "Now, if you would kindly hand over your guns and step inside that jail cell yonder…" Luca cocked back the hammer of his revolver.

"What the hell is going on here?" Malloy moaned as the pair of outlaws disarmed his deputies.

"You're getting robbed, Sheriff," Ava informed him. "Thought you'd be able to figure that out by now." She pushed him into the jail cells with the other deputies. Ava was about to close the door when Luca grabbed it, looking between them all.

"Alright boys, now who's got the keys for the doors?" They all remained quiet. "C'mon, I know that at least _one_ of y'all has got the keys…" No-one moved. "Fine, guess we'll keep you company then." Luca closed the jail cells and sat down by the Sheriff's office, resting his feet on the tabletop and fixing his gun on the lawmen. Ava sat down on the desk and took a cigarette from Luca, puffing out smoke as she watched the lawmen squirm. She wondered if it was exciting at the bank…

* * *

The doors to the Valentine bank were kicked open. Alice moved first, slamming the butt of her gun into the lawman, Cooley, who hit the ground hard. Aiden roughly grabbed a man and shoved him across the bank, pointing his revolver at them. Matty arrived at the teller window and cocked the blue hammer of his revolver.

"Yous'll want to give me the keys, now, friend." The man nodded and tossed the keys from his belt under the bars, holding his hands up high. "Alright big man," Matty called to Aiden as he handed him the keys, "yous go and pick up something nice for da." Aiden snatched the keys from Matty and began trying them on the lock.

"Any of you move," Alice said loudly, "you'll catch a bullet. I'm feeling _real_ sharp with my guns today…"

By the time he got to the third key, the lock clicked and Aiden barged open the gate with his shoulder. He grabbed the teller by the neck.

"You think we're playing games?" Aiden snarled as he slammed the man's head against a desk and dragged him through the door, throwing him towards the black iron vault door. He clicked back the black hammer of his Cattleman revolver. "Open the goddamn safe!"

"Excuse me brother there," Matty apologised to the bank-goers, "he's got no appreciation for the craft…"

"Oh, shut up…" Aiden called back to him. The vault door creaked and groaned as the teller began to open it. Aiden grabbed him by the throat and pushed him up against the wall. "Miss M, watch this fool!"

Alice walked towards the back of the bank and pointed her gun to the man's head as Aiden moved inside the vault, pressing one hand to the dial and slowly turning it to the side.

"How long?" Alice asked.

"I'm _trying_ to concentrate!" Aiden called back as he felt the brass dial shudder for a moment. He began to slowly rotate it the other way, turning his ear to the door and listening intently to the clicks.

"Just use the dynamite!" Alice shouted.

"We ain't here to cause trouble," Aiden replied, clicking the dial to the left until there was another clank. He began to slowly turn the dial the other way.

Out in the room beside the vault, the manager looked at the woman's red hair tumbling out from beneath her hat and got a bold idea. They weren't blowing the safes with dynamite, so they weren't going to shoot them. He grabbed the woman's red bandana and tugged it down from her face, revealing her sharp cheeks and heavy freckles. Her dark eyes settled on the manager with a mix of wonder and calm rage.

"I've… I've seen your face now…" The manager gulped. "If you run now, you might-"

The manager's eye popped as a bullet cracked through his skull. A scarlet mist exploded onto Alice's white sleeve and the wall was painted with the banker's blood. Aiden walked out from the vault and smacked the hat off of Alice's head.

"What the goddamn hell is wrong with you, woman?"

"He saw my face-"

"What's your problem?"

"I was just doing what you would!"

"I wouldn't have _had_ to do that-"

"What's going on in there?" Matty shouted from the front.

"Alice is a goddamn lunatic!" Aiden shouted.

"Lunatics don't like being called lunatics," Alice warned Aiden, clicking back the silver hammer on her favourite revolver. "Remember that, McKneil."

"Excuse me?" Aiden growled, his right hand gripping the carved eagle on the grip of his black revolver.

"Ey, we've got a bit of a problem!" Matty shouted from the front. Aiden and Alice continued glaring at each other, both of them waiting for the other to make a move. Aiden hesitated – he needed her for this job. Besides, Rune wouldn't take too kindly to him killing someone else, let alone a member of the gang. And Alice? Well, she wouldn't make the first move because moody-bones-McKneil was just too much fun. "Ey!" Matty shouted, "We got folk outside!"

Aiden's hazel eyes flitted away from Alice's dark ones and he turned towards the doorway. He peered around to see Matty pressed up against the wall, looking through the door windows. "Lawmen?"

"Don't look it."

"How many?"

"Couple dozen?"

"Shit…" Aiden hissed.

"Got a plan?"

"Whoever's in there," one of the townsfolk from outside shouted, "you got ten seconds to give yourself up until we march in there and shoot you all!"

"Tell me yous have got a plan…"

"Not so much a plan, but…" Aiden looked around. "We're barely into the first vault, and we ain't got much longer…"

"So?"

"Well…" Aiden hissed, "they know we're here already…" He turned around and walked to the back of the bank. "Alice! Where's your dynamite?"

"Oh, listen to him, he was going to kill me a minute ago…" Alice muttered.

"Alice!" Aiden barked. "Where's your dynamite?"

"Oh, but I thought we _weren_'_t_ using dynamite…"

"Shut up and give it here…" Alice opened the satchel and produced a bundle. Aiden snatched it from her and began to break it into individual sticks. "Why'd you bring _dynamite_? I told you we was going to do this quietly…"

"Ain't you glad I don't listen to you?"

"Shut up and go out front with Matty," Aiden instructed her as he walked back into the vault, stuffing the dynamite behind the handles of each safe. He took a set of matches from his vest pocket and struck one, lighting the fuse of one of the sticks. He moved back out of the vault and stood beside the iron door, plugging his ears.

There was a thunderous banging and clanking as the iron creaked and groaned inside the vault. Aiden was knocked forwards onto one knee, shaking his head as rubbed his temple. Looking up, he saw that one of the safes had been blown backwards through the wall, its door hanging off by a hinge.

"Goddamn dyna…" Aiden coughed as he rose to his feet. "Where in the hell did you find that shit?" Aiden shouted as he pulled the door full open. The hinge broke and it clanged onto the floor.

"Some fella in Emerald Ranch," Alice responded. "He said that's the good stuff!"

"It's strong alright…" Aiden began to fill his saddlebags with fistfuls of dollars.

Out in the front room, Alice refilled the cylinder of her favourite revolver, Abigail. She twirled it forwards and smiled as she peered through the door. "We can take them…" Alice muttered.

"You reckon?"

"Don't listen to ol' misery McKneil, we're worth ten of them!"

Matty nodded to himself. "Oh, I love the way you think, Ali…" Matty cocked back the hammer of his revolver and readied himself.

"You two ready?" Aiden called from the vault.

"You've no idea, Aiden McKneil…" Matty laughed.

Aiden appeared from the vault with the saddlebag over his shoulder, bulging with dollar bills. "What did I say about full names?"

"You's the one who called her Alice-"

"Shut. Up," Aiden hissed, looking around at the customers in the bank. "We start shooting, they'll get shot…" Aiden murmured.

"So?" Alice scoffed.

"So, Rune says that ain't our way," Aiden explained. Alice groaned and Aiden pointed his gun at the folk cowering. "Right, into the back with with all y'all," Aiden ordered them. "C'mon, no dawdling!"

"Careful you don't beat none of them to death, McKneil…" Alice murmured.

"Shut up, woman…" Aiden replied. As soon as the last of the folk were in the back, Aiden closed the door and shut the gate before drawing his black cattleman revolver with his right. "Ready, Matty?"

"Ready and raring to go…" Matty grinned as he clasped the walnut grip of his blue cattleman. "On my count…"

"Three!" Alice shouted, kicking open the door and firing her revolvers at the crowds of Valentine folk that waited outside. They jumped aside, searching for cover as Aiden and Matty followed, firing at them.

The hammers clunked back and bullets were swung around in the cylinder. A trigger was pulled and a bullet propelled forwards, twirling through the air and above the muddied wooden platforms the outlaws stood upon.

"Move, you fools," Aiden hissed as he shoved them around towards the back of the bank. Aiden looked to the left and saw their horses were corralled together. A fourth horse was there – a scrawny black nag with a rider Aiden recognized. "What's that goddamn thief doing with _our_ horses?"

"C'mon!" Elvira shouted from the nag, waving them over.

"Can we trust her?" Matty asked.

"She ain't shooting at us!" Alice shouted as she ran towards her horse, Birdie. They all began to follow her when Alice fell forwards with a yell, clutching the back of her leg. Aiden and Matty turned back.

"Oh, shit…" Matty growled, turning to grab her. Aiden tugged on Matty's sleeve and pulled him back towards the horses.

"Don't be a fool!"

* * *

Luca and Ava strolled out of the Sheriff's office, arm in arm as they glanced down the street to see several of the townsfolk firing with rifles and revolvers down an alleyway between the hotel and the bank.

"What do you suppose that's all about, darling?" Luca asked in a posh accent.

"I suppose a withdrawal gone awry…" Ava replied with a coy smirk. Luca chuckled and gestured towards their horses by the hitching post which was suspiciously vacant of the lawmen's mounts.

**That's it for this chapter. Fairly action-packed. Now, next chapter will be up… next week, hopefully? I know, it's a bit of a wait, but wifi, applying for jobs, still keeping up with part-time work and managing a social life – first world problems, am-I-right?**

**Next chapter probably won't be as long as this, but it's still a nice chapter that builds on relationships in the gang and also changes them (ish). So, I suppose I'll see y'all for that one!**

**R. **


	10. Thank You, Brother

**So, I've got a job assessment/team building thing to prepare for… therefore, clearly, I decided to write another chapter. This is also to make up for the long delay in updates, so get 'em while they're hot!**

_9__th__ February, 1902_

_Heartland Overflow, The Heartlands, NH_

Lush rolling fields with barely a tree in sight. The sun rose to its peak on a cloudless morning as a convoy of two wagons, escorted by three horses, rolled along the dirt path. The front wagon was driven by Parker and Rune, they rumbled towards the small dried up ravine.

"Too bad about Valentine," Parker murmured, "Caliban's Seat was starting to grow on me…"

"We can't be too careful," Rune replied. "Not after Strawberry."

"Well, that was more Alice than anyone else…" Parker pointed out. "So this place will be safe- or, more safe?"

"Aiden and Near have been there for the past few nights and… well, it doesn't seem like there's much trouble…" Rune passed the reins to Parker and leant out of the wagon, whistling to Luca, who came trotting over. "Luca, who lives 'round these parts?"

"Farmers, mainly." Luca shrugged as Caesar ambled up beside the wagon. "There's a fella, Seamus, who buys wagons."

"He the fella who…?"

"Yup, took care of that one all blown to bits." Luca nodded. "He should know something about any jobs for us."

"No guns, though," Rune ordered. "If we're going to do something, no-one's going to die. Ain't no sense in causing more trouble…"

"Right you are, Brody." Luca glanced over to Parker. "Y'know, folk round these parts are real simple. I reckon you cook up some 'snake oil'…" Luca winked. "And then we demonstrate the uses of-"

"I'm no huckster, Signor D'Angelo," Parker stated firmly.

"Oh, nor am I, Doc." Luca grinned.

* * *

On the second wagon, Elijah and Paloma sat in the back with the eight-year-old Charlotte as Lana pulled on the reins of the wagon which rattled along. Elijah still felt such torrential turmoil inside him. They were killers and thieves. Rune had slaughtered Natives, Aiden had slaughtered townsfolk and Ava sold her body. But Rune had taken it upon himself to unite and guide such wayward souls. Aiden was a brute, but also a champion of others. And Ava was also full of such warmth and kindness to all.

He had to wonder, how wrong had he been in some of his misdeeds? Was his God truly righteous? If not, what did that mean for Elijah? What did that mean for the life he had led in service for his God?

"And so the Prince was cast out of Paradise for his arrogance…" Charlotte frowned. "What's arrogance?"

"It's… it's thinking a lot of yourself," Paloma explained. She glanced up to Father Elijah, who nodded to reassure her.

"It's bad to think of yourself lots?"

"No, it's…" Paloma sighed. "_Padre_?"

"Arrogance is deedless selfishness," Elijah tried to explain. "It's… thinking you're better than other people."

"But we are?" Charlotte frowned. "Rune says we're more people than other people, and-"

"Rune is…" Elijah bit his lip. "Rune has a certain way of looking at the world. But is that _your_ way?"

Charlotte's brow creased in concentration. "Huh?"

"It's…" Elijah shook his head. "We'll talk about it when you're older…"

Elijah climbed out towards the front, where he sat besides Lana. She'd been driving the wagon for four hours now and, to be frank, her _culo_ ached something awful from hours on the road. Her back was in such pain and she wanted nothing more than to just lie down and sleep in the warm glow of New Hanover's bracing breeze.

"How long?" Elijah asked her.

"I suppose it's that smoke in the distance," Lana said, gesturing to the small ridge.

* * *

On that small ridge that overlooked the lake where pronghorn bucks drank in sparse groups, a young man, an old man and a young woman sat outside their rudimentary tents. The old man, Near, began to pin his bait onto the end of his fishing hook. He cast his eyes over to the young beauty that examined him doing this, delicate face rested on her hands.

"You fish?" Near asked her.

"No- well, I never had to, so…"

"Well, if you want to learn…" Near shrugged.

"Really?"  
"Sure!" Near smiled. "I mean, you can't be any worse than that one…" Near smirked as he jerked a thumb over the campfire towards Aiden, who stared through his binoculars at the approaching convoy.

"You sure you can fight a fish at your age?" Aiden asked.

"Very droll, son."

"You ain't as quick as you used to be…" Aiden continued, putting his binoculars away. His eyes settled on the girl, Elvira, that sat with them. "And that one'll steal the fish off your hook."

"You ever going to let that go?" Elvira asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Ain't likely to, no."

"If you love your damn watch so much, why'd you let me take it?"

"I was busy trying to make sure no-one ended up in a damn fight," Aiden snapped.

"And how'd that work out for you?"

Near chuckled in response. "I like her."

"You'd like a snake if it was winding its way 'round your neck…"

"Oh, pish, Aiden…" Near groaned. Aiden handed the binoculars to Near and walked past Elvira, knocking his foot into her ankle as he did. "Leave the poor girl alone – so what if she's a pocket-dove? So's Luca, so's Ava…"

"Luca and Ava ain't never stolen from me!"

"I'm sure they would've if they didn't know you…"

"Shut up!"

Near smacked Aiden around the back of the head. "_You_ shut up!"

* * *

Ava was fascinated by Matty. She trotted along beside him, watching that ginger mess on his head get tussled back in the wind. God, he needed a trim – uneven stubble sat upon his slight jaw with a handful of small, barely noticeable scars. She loved his energy – how he was always laughing and smiling and never believed that he could die at any moment.

Ava was afraid that she may have to sleep with him…

She hasn't been with anyone in the gang – not yet, at least. Aiden seemed scared to act like anything other than a tough outlaw, Parker seemed wholly disinterested in her, Night's Hawk distrusted all of them, Lana would probably explode at the idea of so much as kissing another woman and Elijah was a man of God. No, Matty and Alice seem to be the only two that would not get confused… but which one? Maybe they wouldn't mind sharing…

"How many women have you been with?" Ava asked Matty. He turned around to face her with a lopsided smile, eyes glinting.

"How long have you got?"

"As long as you need."

Matty bit his lip and grinned. "A fair few."

"All whores?" Ava raised an eyebrow. Matty scoffed.

"No – we're outlaws, we don't pay." Matty shrugged. "I prefer wives."

"And how many wives have you been with?"

Matty shrugged. "Some."

"Can you count?"

"Of course I can count."

"So…"

"Oh, I can't count the men's wives I've fucked," Matty chortled, "I don't think there's a number for it!"

"How about names then?"

Matty paused. "Mildred."

"Mildred…?"

"I don't remember her last name."

"Convenient…" Ava said to herself.

"What does it matter?"

"I just wanted to see if you're any good…" Ava said simply before ambling her horse back towards Lana and Elijah. Matty's neck snapped as he turned back to see Ava trotting away on Rouge and grinned.

"Shite…" He said under his breath.

* * *

Aiden sat on the edge of the cliff, looking at the crops and farmhouses in the distance. He brushed a hand over the cracked face of his father's watch and remembered all those years ago, when Patrick McKneil had died. How he'd been sat on the porch of the house, his unscarred, soft thumb pressed against the stainless glass as his hazel eyes fixed on the stable, full of those dead by cholera. His father's body was amongst them. They'd burnt down the stable with them inside. He remembered Rune, only thirty-three then, putting an arm around Aiden's shoulder and squeezing him close as he repeated Patrick's last words to him. '_Don't be angry_'.

"This is home, then?"

Aiden looked down to see the wagons rolling closer into the shade of the nearby trees and came to a halt. Rune hopped off the wagon and walk up to the ridge, pipe in hand.

"What d'you reckon?" Aiden stretched out his arms to gesture at the area.

"Lovely place…" Rune nodded. "Ain't quite as civilized as I feared…" He offered Aiden a hand and pulled him up to his feet. "Heard about any jobs?"

Aiden blinked. "We just robbed a bank and you're talking about _more_?"

"Going soft, Aiden?"

"Course not!"

"So…?"

Aiden shrugged. "Some farmhouses, cattle and crops over south-a-ways. Place named Emerald Ranch."

"I ain't much for robbing farmers…" Rune bit his lip. "We'll see if Luca can separate some idiots from their dollars." Aiden grinned and nodded, adjusting the brown hat on his head. "But you, I want you to go back to Valentine and retrieve Miss MacKenzie."

Aiden's smile vanished, his jaw clenching as he rose to his feet. "Me? Go back there? For _her_?"

"Now, she's one of us, Aiden…"

"So send Matty or Lana or one of the other fools that likes her…" Aiden waved a casual hand at Rune before turning away to walk back towards the campsite that was being built.

"I'm sending you…"

"Why?"

"Because…" Rune grabbed Aiden's shoulder. "Because you're the closest thing I have to a family." Rune explained. "It's you I trust, brother."

And there it was. For Aiden, it was a mixture of guilt and duty. Rune had raised him when he didn't have to – when a lot of people mightn't have. What he owed Rune, what Rune had done for him – it was a debt he knew he could never fully pay back. But he still had to try…

"Fine!" Aiden groaned, "I'll go and… save the damn woman…" Aiden muttered darkly.

"Thank you, brother," Rune said as he placed an arm around his shoulder. "See, sometimes, there's what you want, and then there's the gang." He patted Aiden's shoulder. "Sometimes what you want destroys the gang. What it stands for."

"Sure," Aiden grunted as he walked back towards camp. "I can use Copper?"

"You need to see about getting yourself a proper horse, Aiden."

"Yeah, yeah…" Aiden rolled his eyes.

"Alright, well… I won't tell you again…" Rune began to fill his pipe with tobacco. "You want to take another gun with you? Matty or…?"

"No, not Matty. He'll only…" Aiden shook his head. "I need a cool head."

"Lana?"

Aiden blinked. "I… I was thinking Night's Hawk could-"

"The girl's dying for some action. Unless, of course, you can think of a reason _not_ to take her?"

Aiden began to grind his teeth. "Very funny…" He muttered.

"You've got to talk to her at some point, Aiden…" Rune said as he walked off back to camp, leaving Aiden to mutter darkly under his breath, looking back out across the fields. Those rolling fields with barely a building in sight. _This_ was what he'd been looking for…

"Lana!" Aiden called across camp to the Mexican beauty that helped Paloma set up the butcher's table. "C'mon, we've got a job!"

"You and me?" Lana raised an eyebrow.

"Rune's insisting," Aiden explained. "Besides, we're going to get your favourite woman."

"Alice?" Lana frowned. "She's still alive?"

"Rune seems to think so…" Aiden clasped his belt buckle and looked at Lana. A moment's silence passed as they cleared their throats, scratched their necks and let out shallow breaths.

It was the most they'd talked in the past few months.

* * *

Alice didn't much like Deputy Cooley. No, now, Alice didn't much mind wearing a dress, nor did she much care when men looked at her, but when Malloy and Cooley had given her the patchwork dress and ordered her to disrobe, she tried not to show her displeasure as their beady eyes watched her pull the suspenders from her shoulders and slip the jeans off.

It was something she'd learned to live with from her time running with four young men. But when she'd asked to use the outhouse, not only did they keep her chained but Cooley insisted on keeping the outhouse door open in case she tried to escape. Of course, she would've, but it was the way his beady eyes glinted and his lips twitched into a open-mouthed smile as he watched her piss.

He also made sure she didn't fall on her bag leg – an ample excuse for Cooley to get his mired and clammy hands on her.

Alice would kill him first, she reckoned.

Of course, when Malloy wasn't around, he'd started hinting that he might leave the jail cell unlocked should she 'be _real_ kind to him'. It was no surprise that as soon as Alice mentioned her tendency to bite that Cooley kept his distance a little more. She assured him that she had been joking, however.

Alice didn't like snacks.

Rune'd send someone to get her. If not, Matty would come along, she was certain. And if not? She'd kill them all herself.

**Yup, I figured that we've shown some prejudices at the time and… well, lawmen in the Old West weren't exactly… the best people. In fact, most people weren't… Anyhoo, figured I should at least show a bit of what women had to put up with back in the Old West.**

**Just kidding, gals ****_still_**** have to put up with that crap now which is sad…**

**Anyway, this was short, so I hope it was at least enjoyable (haha, phrasing) and I'll see you all on… Wednesday? *Pauses to think* Yup, see you Wednesday.**


	11. Folk Like You

**So, it's not Wednesday, but I've had stuff to do, wi-fi is still not happening so I figured I'd upload a chapter today and one tomorrow. Also, I didn't say, only 2 more chapters to go after this one and we'll have finished Phase 2.**

_10__th__ February, 1902_

_Valentine, The Heartlands, NH_

Cooley leered at Alice in a certain way. His mouth was agape, lower jaw slightly the side as his eyes roved over her body. Cooley was… well, from across the street, he was certainly not an unattractive man. But when he looked at Alice, she could think of no-one more hideous.

"You got red hair," Cooley said to her. "My momma had red hair…" Alice rolled her eyes crossed her arms as Cooley leant against the iron bars of her cell. "Y'know you'll swing for this, MacKenzie." She gave a mocking smile and Cooley let out a drawling chuckle as he sauntered back across to the door to the Sheriff's office.

Malloy sat at his desk, writing in a ledger, completely immersed in his records of what Alice MacKenzie had been arrested for.

* * *

Aiden and Lana avoided the main street. They trotted along by the small houses, one of which belonged to the Morris boy. They hitched their horses to a small fence behind the Sheriff's and doctor's offices and began to walk between them towards the main street.

"What's the plan?" Lana asked Aiden.

"Go inside, find Alice, get her out."

"That doesn't sound like much of a plan…"

"Well, I ain't Luca," Aiden replied. He lingered by the corner of the doctor's office and peered out to check for lawmen.

"I thought you'd bring Matty or Luca or someone…" Lana murmured. Aiden turned to her.

"Rune insisted I bring you along."

"Right." Lana nodded. "Right – I mean, of course, that makes sense…"

"How d'you mean?" Aiden frowned.

"Well, I reckon he wants us to talk."

"Talk about what?"

Lana stared at Aiden for a small moment before giving a slight scoff and walking past him. "Nothing…"

Aiden let out a small grunt of frustration before following her, dipping a hand into his vest pocket and producing the purple and gold bandana, which he tossed across to her. "Y'know, if you've got something to say, you might as well say it-"

"There's nothing to say."

"Then quit acting all put out…"

"Put out?" Lana raised a dark eyebrow. "I'm_ not_ acting put out…"

"Whatever you say…"

"I'm not!"

Aiden turned around to her, resting a hand on the white grip of his cattleman revolver. "We'll finish this later."

"Sure we will." Lana nodded as she tied the banadana around her face. Aiden pulled up his red-and-gold bandana to his nose and drew his gun.

Cooley approached the door and clasped his hand around the brass knob when it was kicked open, cracking into his nose. Two figures entered – the first was a woman, dressed in a riding skirt and blouse with a purple-and-gold bandana covering her face. She sported a nickel revolver with a pearl grip whereas the man's was black, with small silver engravings – vines that wound their way around the barrel.

Malloy rose from his desk but the woman clicked back the hammer of her revolver and pressed it to his neck, shoving him back into his seat.

"If you would kindly," the woman said as she slipped her hand around the redwood grip of his revolver and slid it out of his holster.

Cooley groaned, rolling on the floor as the man casually leant down to take the revolver from his holster and approached the jail cell, leaning against the bars.

"Well, well, well," the man said as he folded his arms, "fancy running into _you_ here, Alice."

"McKneil, you gotta help me-"

"I don't know, Alice…" Aiden sucked in some breath beneath his red bandana. "I don't think I do, y'know…"

"You're breaking in here for fun, is that it?" Alice gently gripped the cell bars. Aiden shrugged in response. There was a whistle from across the office and the woman tossed a ring of keys to Aiden. He bowed down to catch them and then began to test them on the lock. "That Lana?" Alice asked. Aiden grunted in response. "Bout time you got your hands dirty with the rest of us…" Aiden shifted the cell door open. "Thank you, Aiden," Alice said in a sing-song voice."

"Thank me by shutting up," Aiden replied gruffly as he handed her the revolver. Alice checked the cylinder and then cocked back the hammer and blew a round into Deputy Cooley's face.

"That's for watching me piss," Alice spat at the corpse.

"What the hell is your problem?" Aiden snapped, snatching the revolver from her hand.

"Ain't got no problem. Not anymore, anyways…" Alice walked across the room to the coatrack, where she pulled her gunbelt off a hook and began fastening it around her waist. She looked over to Malloy. "Thanks for the hospitality, mister," Alice said as she cocked back the hammer again. Aiden pushed her shoulder and began shoving her towards the door. He raised his own black revolver at Malloy and waited for Lana to exit as well.

"Don't you start nothing, Sheriff," Aiden said to the Sheriff, weighing up whether it was necessary to kill him. Lana had taken his revolver. He wasn't a threat…

"You don't get to do this and run away," Malloy said quietly. "I exist to protect people from folk like you."

Aiden groaned as he looked out of the door. People were starting to clear out of the street and, well, Aiden remembered all too well that the folk of Valentine were ready to fight. He turned back to Malloy and clicked the hammer of his revolver forwards. He walked forwards and bashed the butt of his revolver onto Malloy's head. Malloy hit his head against the wall and lay on the floor, dazed and moaning.

"Sorry, friend," Aiden said before leaving through the door and making his way to his horse.

* * *

Over in Emerald Ranch, the afternoon sun began to dip into the gold horizon, signalling the fall of evening. Across the grassy knolls, Luca D'Angelo rode with the old grizzled Near and the young, stern-lipped Night's Hawk.

They dismounted near a barn and hitched their horses. Luca took a moment to examine the tattered threads of his purple coat and sighed. They just didn't make clothes of that quality out west…

"Now, both of y'all," Luca said to his two associates, "let me do that talking, hear?"

"As if anyone could stop you…" Near muttered, flashing a grin to Night's Hawk, who's face remained stony.

"Don't y'all go getting all uppity and I'll get him down to twenty-five percent-"

"Uppity?" Near frowned.

"-Cos this guy gets nervous real easy."

"Would you call me uppity?" Near asked Night's Hawk.

"I ain't Rune, Near." Luca turned to walk towards the red barn that towered over the green fields of Emerald Ranch. "I don't find cheek charming."

"It ain't the cheek that annoys you, and you know it," Near murmured as he followed Luca towards the barn.

"What are you saying?"

"I've been down South," Near explained. "I've been to Rhodes – I know the sorta folk that hang 'round down there. And how they act…"

"Hey, I ain't no Dixie-whistling hillbilly," Luca retorted.

"And I didn't say that." Near held up his hands. Luca walked on ahead towards the greasy-haired yet balding man that stood outside the barn, smoking a cigarette with gloved hands. "I may have thought it," Near muttered to Night's Hawk, "and it may be true, but I ain't never said it." The corner of Night's Hawk's mouth twitched for a moment and Near winked before following Luca forwards.

Seamus was weary and growing old. Riding horses hurt his hips and he was getting up to piss five times or so in the night. However, in his old age, he'd grown more cautious and wary.

This was why when an old associate of his, Luca, had turned up with a beaten up wagon to sell, he'd at first been aggressively dismissive. But he'd known Luca for quite a few years. He knew he could be trusted.

"Signor D'Angelo," Seamus bowed his head to the purple-clad man.

"Seamus."

"Who're the friends?" Seamus shifted his eyes over the two strangers that accompanied Luca.

"Near and Night's Hawk," Luca said. "Good men, in the right line of work-"

"I don't need to know none of their work," Seamus held up a hand and sucked on his cigarette. "You ain't got no wagon with you, Luca."

"We ain't got something to sell yet, Seamus, though we are looking _for_ something to sell, if you catch my drift."

"Ain't much 'round this way for you to find, Luca…" Seamus thumbed his chin, "some cattle, sheep and shit, but that's 'bout it."

"The cattle," Near said, glancing around, "who's it belong to?"

"Most folk 'round here. All work on the ranch." Seamus glanced back to Luca. "I wouldn't recommend robbing these folk – if I'm the only one who profits, they'll surely suspect something."

"We could always just not pay you?" Luca grinned. "C'mon, Seamus, we pay you fifteen percent, and you get-"

"Fifteen?" Seamus raised an eyebrow. "I ain't risking life and limb for fifteen percent. Fifty."

"Oh, Seamus, come now," Luca chuckled, "that ain't reasonable. I mean, fifty ain't enough for the three of us…" Luca gestured to his associates.

"You three ain't got to live with the consequences."

"Twenty," Luca replied. "Leaves us with eighty, and we're running with a big crew now…"

"Twenty-five," Seamus said sternly. "Big crews mean there's more folk that can fuck it all up."

Luca flicked his tongue across his teeth. "Twenty-five." He grasped Seamus' hand and gave him a firm shake. "Now, you got any pointers on who we can sell this here cattle to?"

"A pair of twins," Seamus explained. "Floyd and Clyde – one of them's mute and the other one talks way too much…"

"Sounds familiar…" Night's Hawk murmured to himself. Near flashed a grin at him.

"Set up down South in Lemoyne. In Scarlett Meadows, just north of Rhodes. Some old ruins by the coast."

"Think I know the place…" Luca murmured to himself.

"I do," Near said. "Just south of the border?" He asked Seamus.

"That's right."

"When have _you_ been to Lemoyne?" Luca frowned at Near.

"Well… See, I once knew this-"

"Oh, forget it…" Luca shook his head and turned to Seamus. "You have a deal, friend."

* * *

The horses slowed as they approached tents that sat on the ridge, high above the low evening sun. The campfire crackled and a general buzz of noise was heard as Alice hopped off Lana's horse and stroked down its brown mane.

"Not bad, Lana," Alice grinned, "would've preferred it if you'd shot the other one, but still, not bad at all-"

Aiden dismounted Copper and turned to Alice. "You've got something wrong with you," he hissed. "I swear, you ain't right in the head!"

"Oh, don't be sullen, McKneil," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "This is your problem-"

"You're always telling me I've got a problem, but far as I can see, everything that's gone wrong is because of you!"

Alice blinked and pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is what I mean. You talk an awful load of horseshit and act all big and tough, but you turn all yellow when it comes to gunsmoke-"

"Y'know, maybe I should've left you in there to rot," Aiden said, keeping his voice level. "I mean, I knew you were a fool, but foolish enough to get caught? And then shoot the deputy on our way out?"

"Oh, hardy-har-har," Alice said, voice dripped in malice and eyes narrowed.

"Oh, go on, get lost," Aiden waved a hand and turned away from her, "I don't want to talk to you no more."

Alice walked over to McKneil, head cocked to the side and dark eyes roving over his face. Suddenly, her creased brow relaxed and she gave him a peck on the cheek. Aiden pushed her away and she smiled.

"Thank you, McKneil," Alice chirped before turning to Lana and doing the same. "Thank you, Lana- ooh…" Alice turned to Aiden with a smile. "Soft skin… no wonder you fucked her, McKneil." Alice then walked back towards camp. "Daddy, I'm home!"

Aiden shoved his hands into his black jeans and looked down at the floor, not quite sure what to say to Lana. She kept her eyes on him, wondering how someone that'd robbed banks and killed so many men could be so scared of talking to a girl.

"Why don't we talk anymore, Aiden?" Lana asked him finally.

Aiden flicked his tongue across his teeth and looked back to camp. If she didn't get it already, how more simply could he explain it to her? "I'm…" Aiden closed his mouth again. He cared for Lana, of course. But whatever they were at one point, they just… weren't anymore. He wasn't sure if it was him or if it was her, but… well, how many times had they nearly died? Lana wasn't one to play it safe, neither. And with Rune telling Aiden how much the gang depended on him and so on…

"I never wanted to be your wife or…" Lana shook her head. "I just thought we were friends." Lana began to walk away when Aiden took a step forwards, catching her shoulder.

"We ain't friends, we're…" Aiden slowly removed his hand and placed it on his belt buckle. "We're family."

Lana nodded. "We see each other all the time and… it's hard to see you as someone like…" Lana let out a quick breath and met his hazel eyes once more. "It's just hard."

"Brother!" Rune's voice called from the centre of camp.

Aiden cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I've got-"

Lana just walked away, leaving Aiden there to rub the stubble on his jaw before walking over to Rune to tell him what had happened in Valentine.

**So, chapter 12 tomorrow and enjoy the rest of today!**


	12. A Dying Breed

**So, here's the penultimate chapter of phase 2. So, hope you guys enjoy this chaper!**

_3__rd__ March, 1902_

_Heartland Overflow, The Heartlands, NH_

Near sat on the edge of the cliff, looking through his binoculars across the sweeping lush fields that surrounded the camp. Beside the billowing black smoke of the train, he could make out a herd of buffalo that slowly meandered across the field. Thankfully, there was no-one standing on the train shooting at them – that'd been all the rage a good couple of decades ago. He wondered what Night's Hawk would've made of that… Nothing good, Near reckoned.

"Watching birds?" Came the gravelly voice of Aiden McKneil, the young man that sat down beside Near.

"Bison."

Aiden scoffed. "That must be boring…"

"It's relaxing in a way," Near replied, "seems like it's been ages since I just… sat down."

"Even though that's all you do?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. Near gently gave his leg a kick.

"What're you doing over here, anyhow?"

"Just trying to get some rest before I end up having to… I don't know, _do_ something again…"

"Aiden McKneil, you used to be an adventurer- an explorer!" Near turned to look at him. "I mean, I remember when you and Miss Lana disappeared for a good half-month or so."

"That wasn't an adventure, that was just stupidity – on my part, mainly…"

"Well, make sure you take someone smart along with you next time you try to rob a train."

"I ain't too fond of trains," Aiden shrugged as he reached into the pocket of his vest to produce a carton of cigarettes.

"Nah, me neither…" Near sighed. "Horses are what I'm comfortable with- you ain't fond of horses are ya?"

Aiden frowned as he placed the cigarette between his lips. "Course I am, why'd you think that?"

"Well… you don't got one of your own…" Near shrugged. Aiden nodded.

"True… see, horses is something I'm particular about. I can ride any, sure, but to have one? Ain't the sorta thing I can just… do." Aiden shook his head. "I'm sure I sound like a damn fool…"

"Well," Near sighed, "if there's one thing a coot knows, it's that sounding foolish don't make you a fool." He wagged a finger at him. "Just keep your head and know what we are – you'll be fine."

"Know what we are?" Aiden frowned.

Near's eyes drifted back up to the horizon as he examined the buffalo mosey on and graze in the distance. His dark, scarred cheeks stretched and creased into a mournful smile as he turned back to face the younger white man that sat beside him. "The last of a dying breed."

"Dying?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. "It's dead, Near. I mean, the Van Der Lindes and O'Driscolls, Jack Hall and…" Aiden shook his head. "We ain't a dying breed, we're extinct Near."

"We're still here."

"For now." Aiden nodded. "But, well… we could all die at any moment. I reckon you know that more than the rest of us."

"True, I do…" Near let out a groan as he stretched out his broad shoulders. "But nothing's meant to last forever. Not you, not me- not the buffalo…" Near shrugged. "We've all got to meet our end at some point."

"And what's that, d'you reckon?"

Near frowned as he rubbed a thumb across his cracked lips and squinted at the setting sun. "Just this," Near said quietly, pointing out to the dusk-sun. "On a nice hill, watching the sunset and… talking."

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Talking?"

"That's right."

"Talking 'bout… what?"

"Oh, I don't know… Fools or buffalo- could be talking about the size of Landon Rickett's shits for all I care…" Near just let out a sigh, "I just want a bit of peace."

"Don't we all?" Aiden scoffed.

* * *

As the sun lay heavy beneath the horizon of the Flat Iron Lake, Luca dismounted his horse and wiped the sweat from his brow. His clothes were… well, they left a lot to be desired. Perhaps when they next passed through civilization, Luca would have his clothes repaired? Though, Aiden and Rune had a point – a man in purple drew attention… he'd have to bid farewell to his look and thread together another.

Still, the thought did excite him – looking dapper instead of dishevelled.

As they led the herd of cattle, Luca glanced ahead. Standing at the stone walls (which acted as a corral) were a pair of men. Both very similar with their dark hair and slight builds, though one did a lot of the talking. Luca deduced that this fella was Floyd. He approached them with Lana on one side and Night's Hawk on the other.

"You Seamus' friend?" Floyd asked in a southern drawl.

"Friend's a bit…" Luca shook his head. "I prefer the term 'acquaintance'."

"Acquaintance," Floyd nodded, "that's a fancy term, pop. You's an educated man?"

"As much as the next man…" Luca shrugged.

"I'd reckon that'd depend _on_ the next man."

"Then let's just say I've a head for numbers and leave it at that," Luca said firmly. "Now, that's twenty heads of cattle, which I reckon y'all could buy for-"

"Buy?" Floyd frowned. "I ain't said I'm buying nothing!"

"But…" Luca frowned as he glanced over his shoulder to Night's Hawk and Lana. "I mean, Seamus-"

"Seamus don't make no decisions for me," Floyd shrugged. "I don't like dealing with unknowns, pop."

Luca shook his head. "Guess we'll take our cattle elsewhere then, Floyd. Miss Lana, Night's Hawk…" Luca turned around and walked towards his horse. He placed a foot in a stirrup and was half-way through mounting when Floyd spoke again.

"How much you selling them for?"

"Ain't no business of yours, is it? Seeing as you ain't buying."

"Well, maybe I'm considering…" Floyd crossed his arms. "I'll give you two-fifty for 'em."

"Works out at 10 dollars a head," Lana said as she ran a hand her soft jaw.

"How does _this_ one know how to count?" Floyd chuckled to his silent brother.

"I use my fingers," Lana replied curtly.

"Ain't she funny, Clyde? That's Clyde – he don't speak." Floyd ran his eyes over Lana's face. "You a Cuban?"

"Mexican."

"And him?" Floyd looked to Night's Hawk. "He Cuban?"

"Wapiti," Lana answered for the young man. "Does he look Cuban?"

"I don't know, I don't talk to Cubans."

"Lucky them…" Night's Hawk murmured to himself.

"Five hundred," Luca said to Floyd.

"_Five_ hundred? For these sickly goats- no, three hundred – and that's a generous price."

"Three hundred ain't barely nothing… 'specially seeing as Seamus is due twenty-five percent." Luca shook his head. "Let's call it four-fifty."

"Three-fifty."

"Four."

"Three-seventy-five."

"Four."

"Three-seventy-five and we tell Seamus you paid two."

Luca did the sums in his head. They'd only have to pay Seamus fifty dollars, which'd leave them with over three hundred dollars – the best take from any job Lana had ever done over the last four years.

"Deal," Luca said, clasping Floyd's hand.

"Get him the money, Clyde…"

* * *

Parker was… well, he was scared. He'd not been with a community like the gang for as long as four years. And… Valentine was a livestock town full of dumb cattle and dumber cowboys. Yet _even_ there, they were in danger. _Even_ there, they were getting into problems with the law.

So where could they be safe?

"Oh, c'mon now, Doc…" Rune chortled as he packed his pipe with tobacco. "I mean- they're all just a bunch of morons, it ain't like they can get to us. We ain't nearly as troublesome as the Del Lobos or Skinner Brothers, and we certainly ain't as big and bad as the Jack Hall Gang or the-"

"I know, but how many gangs are still around?" Parker snapped. "They'll end up getting each and every one of us, Rune, mark me…"

"Nice to know you trust me, Doc."

"Well, of course _I_ trust you, Rune! I known you four years, but…" Parker glanced around the camp, his eyes fixing on Charlotte. "What if they catch up to us when Charlie is around? Or Abuela, or Father Elijah-"

"Parker…" Rune wrapped a calloused hand around the side of Parker's caramel neck and locked eyes with him. "I ain't going to let that happen."

Parker's brown eyes dropped down onto Rune's lips, mere inches from his own. He swallowed, more aware of the thunderous hammering of his heart that seemed to crawl up into his throat.

Rune hadn't… he didn't- he'd lost people before. And looking at Parker like this… well, that wasn't him. Or, it was, but it wasn't anymore… he didn't know.

Before Rune could even begin to fathom what was lurking inside him, Near loudly coughed from the side of Rune's large, burgundy tent. Parker and he both looked to see Near standing there, holding a neckerchief to his mouth as his eyes flickered between the two of them.

"I, erm…" Near cleared his throat. "I think I've found a space where we can lie low…"

"I should…" Parker said quietly, "I should check on Abuela in case her hip is acting up again…" Parker rose to his feet and placed Rune's book, _The Tempest_, on the cot before making his way towards the exit, his gaze fixed on the ground.

Near rubbed a hand along his coarse jaw of stubble as his eyes tracked Rune's walk out of the tent. "You good, Rune?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

Near's eyes flickered after Parker before he took a breath. "If you say so…"

"So, this place you found?"

Near nodded. "Rhodes over in Lemoyne, just south of Scarlett Meadows."

Rune groaned. "I don't know… I ain't too sure 'bout heading that far South – ain't too sure how a bunch of Dixie-whistling Rebels are gonna take to a bunch of… well, a bunch of us." Rune shared a chortle with Near.

"You mean, a black man, two Mexicans, a Native and a couple of Irishmen?"

"Well…" Rune rubbed his beard. "Mainly the black man…"

Near grinned. "I've ran South a couple of times before. It ain't me that needs you watching my back." Near's eyes flickered to the returning trio of Lana, Luca and Night's Hawk.

"You mean Night's Hawk?"

"Not just him…" Near rubbed a hand across his shaved head again. "They won't take kindly to a woman acting like Lana. Even more so a Mexican woman…"

Rune nodded. "So why Lemoyne? Why Rhodes?"

"It's far away from Valentine." Near shrugged.

"Well, we could head North. Ambarino…"

"True…" Near nodded. Rune locked his dark eyes on him for a moment and Near finally hung his head. "I've got folk- family. They went down that-a-ways a while back."

"Think they can help us?"

"I mean… I think they're the ones who might need help." Near flicked his tongue across weathered lips. "I ain't heard from them for over two years."

"I ain't going to put my people in danger," Rune said firmly.

"And I ain't asking you to-"

"Good, 'cos I won't!"

"But that's where I'm headed," Near said, placing his hands on his hips. "With or without you."

"That's your decision, old man."

Near nodded, glancing around the camp. "For what it's worth, Rune, it'd sure mean a lot to me to have you folk with me."

Rune groaned and shook his head. "We've been in some rough scrapes, I can't go putting us in trouble…" his eyes drifted over Charlotte, who was rooting through Parker's scratched brown satchel. "These folk mean too much to me."

"I understand that, but… but these folk I mention- they mean the same to me. Just…" Near moved closer to Rune. "Just promise me, son."

In many ways, Rune saw Near as… well, not a father, but a brother. He was wise and tempered, and though he couldn't pull jobs with them, he knew more than the rest of the gang put together. And more than that, he helped make a camp feel like a home. Whether it was whittling a toy horse for Charlotte or helping Paloma make a stew, Near was as important to the camp as the tents and tables.

"I'll think on it," Rune promised.

"S'all I'm asking."

Rune nodded and watched Near walk away, back towards the approaching trio.

**Just a short one, but this phase is still kinda like a prologue in my eyes. But, to be fair, I know where the story is going and how it's going to end so…**

**The reason behind me having these phases where a central storyline isn't really prevalent is so you come to care about the gang. You see them all interact and get to know the relationships and dynamics. It's something of an experiment for my writing, so if it turns out well, I may use this technique in others stories.**

**Anyhoo, I'm gonna get writing the final chapter now, so see y'all then! It'll most likely be on Monday, but I'm going to try and get it done before then. Drop a review and let me know what you think of the story. I know I'm neglecting some members, but there's still 4 more phases to go!**

**R. **


	13. Slaves & Pawns

**So, here it is – the final chapter of phase 2. I hope you guys enjoyed this phase and I'll see y'all for the third one.**

_7__th__ May, 1902_

_Heartland Overflow, The Heartlands, NH_

Aiden crawled forwards on his arms, brushing against the grass and looking over the hill to see the grazing horses. Most of them seemed to be Kentucky Saddlers – all of them too young to ride. Not quite yearlings or ponies, but still too young.

Aiden's eyes moved to rest on the larger horse. A champagne coat – no Kentucky Saddler. He examined the hearty muscles, long neck and sloping shoulders. It was too big to be an Arabian, surely? There was something about its coat as well – it seemed to shimmer like gold. It was a Turkoman, no doubt. He'd never seen one before, but there was no mistaking it.

Aiden got to his feet and approached the horse, calling out gently to it. The Kentucky Saddlers bolted and the Turkoman began to whinny, but Aiden took a step back, holding his hands out and shushing the horse.

"It's okay…" Aiden said quietly, "it's okay, don't you fuss…" He approached the horse as it began to stomp its hooves down and grunt. Aiden was careful not to look the horse in the eye, just as his father had told him. He came closer to the horse and slowly stretched out a hand to the horse's face. The horse dipped its head and began to sniff at his fingers before placing its head underneath it. Aiden smiled as he moved his hand along the soft, shimmering coat. The horse nickered and Aiden glanced under its belly. "Okay, boy…" Aiden pulled the rope from his belt, "I just want to take you back to camp…"

The Turkoman saw the rope and took several steps back, whinnying and braying. Aiden held his hands out again, shushing the horse, which began trotting in a circle around him. He clutched the rope and began to throw it out to gently brush on the horse's back. The Turkoman continued cantering around Aiden as he pulled in the rope to throw at the horse's back again.

"Alright, boy, c'mon…" Aiden murmured to himself.

Eventually, the horse dipped its head, it's left ear turning to face Aiden. The horse began to trot in a smaller circle, closer to Aiden as it began to nicker slightly. Eventually it stopped at Aiden's side, examining him. Aiden turned away from the horse and took a few slow steps and, sure enough, he felt the horse poking its head into his back moments later. Aiden turned around and rubbed the horse's face as he slowly and gently placed the rope around the horse's neck, shushing and patting him as he began to walk back towards camp.

"Don't worry, you'll be doing some running," Aiden told the stallion. "Suppose I better give you a name…" Aiden murmured as he looked at the gold coat of the horse. "Goldie?" Aiden knew it was wrong as he soon as he said it. "Ain't much of a proper name for you…" Aiden began to examined the white mane. "Snow?" Aiden shook his head. "Ain't no snow 'part from those mountains…" Aiden glanced over to the snowy range in the distance. He looked back to the white mane and stretched out a hand that lost itself in the strands. It reminded him, seeing the pure white hair tangled around his fingers… reminded him of his mother.

Aiden didn't remember much of her. He didn't know much either, just that she was from England and died when he was young. Goddamn consumption… But he had that one memory of his hands tangled in her white hair as she sang him some long-forgotten lullabies. He didn't even know if it was real.

Aiden shook off the hazy memory and cleared his throat as he removed his hand from the mane. That time was gone – no more New Austin desert, no more singing mother. He had a family to think about. Sandy had died and that part of his life ended with her. He turned back to the new horse – his new life. "Ryder," Aiden said as he patted down the neck of his nickering horse. "I'm a-call you Ryder."

* * *

Charlotte was _trying_ to read – she was, but _Padre_ Elijah kept making her learn new words, and they were hard to remember. She tried to sound it out, but the _Padre_ said ladies didn't move their lips as they read.

She wasn't a Lady, though, she was a girl?

Young Charlotte had asked her _Abuela_ what a Lady was and, by the sounds of it, Ava was one. She was beautiful and smart and charming and clever – that's what a Lady is, isn't it? She thought Luca was a Lady too, which made Matty and Aiden laugh and agree. But _Abuela_ said it didn't work like that – Luca was a Gentleman. Young Charlotte didn't really understand the difference… it was probably something obvious.

She'd finished her lesson with the _Padre_ and was sat on her _Abuela's_ lap, watching Aiden fasten his tack to his new horse.

"He's so gold…" Charlotte said, watching the horse nicker as Aiden threw the blue blanket across the horse's back. "Is he called Goldie?"

Aiden chuckled. "Nah, I didn't call him Goldie…"

"But he's gold."

"You don't…" Aiden turned around and looked to Abuela, raising an eyebrow.

"How people look isn't important," Paloma explained. "It's what's _inside_ that's important."

"Like… your heart?" Charlotte frowned.

"Exactly, _niño_, it's your heart."

"So why Ryder?" Charlotte asked Aiden.

"Because I'll be riding him," Aiden shrugged.

"Oh, very droll," Near said from the table where he cleaned his guns, "I'd never have guessed that." Parker uncorked a home-made oil for polishing the iron and handed it to Near.

"Try that Near- and did you know Ryder is an English name?" Parker asked Aiden. "It literally means someone who rides a horse."

"I think that sums up our hearts real well…" Aiden replied as he took several steps back before tightening the uptugs on Ryder's saddle. The horse began to buck and whinney and jump about. Charlotte sprang up from her _Abuela's_ lap.

"He doesn't like it-" Charlotte insisted before Paloma wrapped arms around her again, picking her up.

"He's fine…" Aiden waved a hand. "It just tickles is all, he'll calm down in a moment."

"You tie a leg to the post," Luca explained, "whip 'em when they buck."

"Well, they don't like you then," Aiden replied. "Think the saddle's a bad thing then – don't want him all afraid."

Luca rolled his eyes. "So _all_ horsebreakers are wrong?"

"Ain't saying you're wrong, just ain't how I do things."

"You have more in common with your father than just your name, brother," Rune's voice came from behind Aiden as Rune approached from his tent, hands on his hips as he examined the new horse. "He _is_ a rambunctious sort… Fine creature."

"Ain't never seen a Turkoman before."

"Me neither." Rune patted Aiden's shoulder. "What're you calling him?"

"Ryder."

"Good thing you ain't the brains of the outfit…" Rune's eyes flickered over to Near who chuckled. "But, y'know, we've known that for a while." Rune slapped Aiden's shoulder. "Anyone seen Matty or Alice?"

"Rode off with Ava a couple hours back. Said there were going to head into town to get some supplies."

"No doubt they're stirring up some trouble…" Rune grinned as he took a cup of coffee from Elijah and sat down next to Parker. "Night's Hawk!" Rune called in a joyful tone as the young man looked up from stringing his bow. "How are you today, brother?"

"Just fine," Night's Hawk replied.

"Fine? Fine ain't good enough. You ought to be in good spirits."

"I do?" Night's Hawk's dark eyes glanced over to Near, who gave him a wink.

"Y'know, I've a good feeling…" Rune nodded to himself. "I've fought Natives, Rebels…" Night's Hawk's fist clenched. "All manner of dangerous folk. But none quite so formidable as our family." He smiled as he looked around. The hairs on his arm stood on end as his forearm brushed against Parker's. "I truly feel like we're… we're on the up. Like everything might just turn out alright for us."

Near rolled his eyes and Aiden cracked a smile. But, Aiden's smile quickly evaporated as he looked up to see something approaching. A group of people with pitchforks, rifles and staffs.

"Rune, we got visitors…" Aiden said as he quickly walked forwards, pushing up the brim of his father's brown hat to see more clearly.

"Seems we have some concerned citizens…" Parker muttered to Rune as they rose from their seat.

"That's a mob, no doubt about it…" Near informed them as he began to gently slot the components of his revolver back together.

The man in front was a fellow with a groomed blonde horseshoe moustache. A long, jagged scar arced down from his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth, giving him a frightful look. Charlotte hid behind Paloma's leg.

"Which one of yous is Rune Brody?" The scarred man shouted.

"That'd be me, sir." Rune calmly walked to the front of the gang, casually examining the mob behind the man. "Well, this is quite a little militia, isn't it?"

"On behalf of the United States of America and the peoples of New Hanover, I'm here to arrest you all for cattle rustling."

Aiden glanced over to Luca, who began to remove his tattered purple coat.

"You got any evidence?"

"Eyewitnesses. Sworn testimonies."

"Of me?" Rune asked with an amused smile. "Which of you saw me, personally, rustle your cattle?"

The mob were quiet but the man pushed back his black overcoat, revealing the revolver. It was then that the gang noticed the shining star of the U.S. Marshal. Rune, however, rested his eyes on the Marshal's revolver.

"If you're Rune Brody, it's my duty to take you back to the state of New Austin and hand you over to the law." The man's eyes drifted over to the purple coat Luca put down. "Luca D'Angelo, I presume?"

"_Buon pomeriggio_." Luca smirked.

"Simmons, Huerta," the Marshal said, glaring at the two of them, before shifting his eyes over to Aiden, whose hand tugged at the engraved white hilt of his black cattleman revolver. "And you're Mr. McKneil. Good to put a face to the name..."

"You know our names, Marshal, but I'm afraid we don't know yours."

"Marshal Matthew Daley." The Marshal walked forwards. "You stole the cattle belonging to these folk."

"Animals belong to no-one," Rune replied. "Meaning that they belong to everyone."

"You riling me, Brody?"

"Listen, Marshal Daley..." Rune wandered closer and Near rose to his feet. "How about this, you and your men turn around and walk away and we leave you alone? Because otherwise, well..." Rune shrugged and placed his hands on his hips.

"You'd kill innocent men and women?"

"You are paid to kill folk," Rune replied, "while I simply kill when it is necessary. _I _decide that. I choose. In that regard, I'm less of a criminal than you."

"You've a savage's ken of ethics, Brody."

"Turn around and leave." Rune's jaw clenched. "I ain't asking a third time."

"Are you threatening me, Brody?"

Rune squinted his blue-gray eyes at the Marshal. "_Warning_ you." He glanced around at the ranchhands and milkwives around the lawman. "I'm an outlaw, not a murderer."

"You ain't nothing more than a common criminal, Brody. That's all you are. All any of you are," Marshal Daly looked to the others.

"We ain't criminals, Marshal. We're outlaws."

"It's all the same to the hangman."

As the Marshal took another step forwards, Aiden slid his black revolver out of its dark brown holster and cocked back the hammer. Paloma's wrinkled hand drifted across the hilt of her butcher's knife. Lana pulled on the pearl grip of her nickel revolver. Near loaded two shells into the double-barrelled shotgun and snapped the barrel back into place. Father Elijah moved closer to Charlotte, a hand on his bible while Parker's eyes flickered between the Marshal and the mob, who all began to toe backwards at the sight of a gang armed and ready for a fight – no, ready for a war.

"You best leave, boy," Near growled.

"I'll inform the government of yous," the Marshal murmured. "A posse will form and you's'll hang for rustling cattle and murdering folk-"

"Say it again, Marshal," Rune growled as he removed his own revolver. "Say it again or run along now."

The Marshal looked back to the mob before turning and storming away with them. They were all silent – no more chants or yelling. They were terrified of the gang. And they were right to be.

"Should never have gone after that cattle, Luca…" Near murmured to Luca.

"Give it a rest, Near," Rune snapped.

"What now, Rune?" Aiden asked as he walked a little further from Rune, watching the mob leave.

"We need to get ourselves good and lost, proper-like…" Rune murmured to himself as his steel blue eyes turned over Near. He closed his eyes and looked back to Aiden. "You ever been to Rhodes?"

"Rhodes?" Aiden frowned. "Ain't nothing but a bunch of Rebel hicks down thataway?"

"Rebels ain't no worse than carpetbaggers…" Rune pointed out. "All are slaves and pawns of Uncle Sam-"

"We get it, Rune, they're all dumb," Near interrupted. "But I will say this: they've got a _lot_ of money."

"Yeah?"

"Since them Braithwaites and Grays died some years back, a family moved in and monopolized the shine. They became the local law, now they run all the local businesses."

"Who, exactly?"

"The Davenports of Caliga Hall."

"Who?" Aiden frowned.

Near cocked his head to the side, squinting at Aiden. "Don't you pay attention to anything in the world?"

"Why would I?" Aiden shrugged. Rune let out a laugh and squeezed Aiden's shoulder as Near rolled his eyes.

"I was saying, Davenports are a bunch of folk from Georgia – used to have some plantation out there."

"And now?"

"Well, if it's in the west of Lemoyne, you can be sure the Davenports have something to do with it."

"So there's money to be made..." Rune nodded.

"Rune, you're talking about _robbing_ the Davenports?" Luca scowled.

"Why not?" Rune asked casually.

"I've heard the rumours, Rune. They're involved with some Rebel patriots, one of them is related to Guido Martelli-"

"All I'm hearing is that they've got money and influence," Rune replied. "And we need allies with both if we're going to lay low."

"Lay low?" Aiden frowned. "What happened to making money and then getting out of America?"

"Oh, we will, I mean just for _now_," Rune explained. "We can't leave yet, we still need money so... I mean, we can't draw any more attention after this..." Rune gestured to the mob in the distance. He rose to his feet. "We need a few ground rules now," he informed the gang. "First, we don't shoot folk that we don't need to!" Rune examined the faces of his men and women. "Second, we don't rob folk who don't deserve it!" Rune swallowed as he looked at them all. "And third, the _gang_ comes first!" There was a moment's silence as the gang looked at Rune, waiting for his next words. "Now, all in favour of travelling south and robbing the Davenport family, raise your hand."

Nearly everyone did – everyone except Luca. Luca turned to see Aiden raising his hand and groaned. "C'mon, McKneil, not y'all too..."

"Just seems like there's going to be civilization any which way we go so..." Aiden shrugged.

Luca sighed before nodding and raising his hand.

* * *

Phillipa Woolsey was better known by another name – Madam Herridge. Her father had helped dig a trade network and cattlerun out of a squalid little dustbowl and been murdered for his trouble. But, being his only child, she was of a mind to propel her father's legacy into the new world. One with trains and telephones and a united America. Free from savages.

Standing in the hallway of the Herridge Mansion in New Austin was a man with a thick moustache and a gleaming silver Pinkerton badge. Phillipa took a sip from her teacup, extending her little finger out as she faced the man.

"They shot my father," Phillipa informed him, "they robbed my bank, and now the decrepit law can't find them."

"There's many problems with the law, Mrs. Woolsey," the Pinkerton agreed.

"Then I'm looking outside the law." Phillipa placed her teacup down on the maple table. "I want you to find my money and wring the necks of Mr. Brody, Mr. McKneil, Mr. Donnelly- all the men who would have me penniless as a vagrant." Phillipa sat down in her armchair. "Are you game, Agent Ross?"

"I'm afraid that there's... another matter I'm attending to. Another hunt."

Phillipa's jaw clenched, her lips sewn tightly together as her brown eyes glared at the Pinkerton. "Then why did you come here?" She asked curtly.

"I've a man in mind for you," Ross explained. "Not as seasoned as myself, but he has potential and a great mind."

"I could care less about his mind, Agent, is he capable?"

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Woolsey, he's certainly that."

"Good. So, have this man of yours set after them. He can... who is this fellow?"

"Agent Winters, Madam."

"Good. Have this Winters sent to Valentine in New Hanover. I can't think of too many gangs capable of this..." Woolsey drifted a plump finger over a newspaper article that read '_Brazen Bank Robbed; Brody Gang Strikes Once Again?_'

"At once, Madam."

* * *

**So, that is the end of Phase 2. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all for the next phase. I'll be accepting 1 (****_mmmaybe_**** 2?) new characters for the gang, but it's all up in the air. **

**Also, when you send characters, please include their name as the subject – it makes it a hell of a lot easier for me. Lastly, leave a review and don't forget to follow me for an instant update on the next story!**

**R.**


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